Rewind
by forbiddenist
Summary: Zero loses his memory in an accident and forgets everything save his name...even his lineage and Yuuki. Eventual KxZ. Rated M. UnBETAed.
1. Chapter 1

Rewind.

_The last thing he remembered was searing heat._

----

Kiryuu Zero awoke to a white ceiling.

His head hurt, his limbs could hardly move. His whole body felt sore and heavy.

"...Where am I?" His throat was hoarse and dry, and it hurt to talk.

He tried flexing his fingers, successfully clenching and unclenching his hand slowly, he tried to sit up.

The door opened.

"Zero!"

A girl's high-pitched voice rang in his ears, shocking him and making his headache worse at the same time. He groaned and fell backward, the pain in his abdomen not helping things.

A brunette girl came up to his bedside, touching the side of the bed.

"Are you alright? You've been sleeping for the past three days!"

Her cheerful tone grated on his frayed nerves. The silver-haired boy frowned, glaring at the girl.

"...Who're you?"

"What? Three days and you've forgotten who I am, Zero? Did you knock yourself silly?"

Zero remained silent, settling for just looking at the stranger who entered the room so abruptly and acted so close. When she didn't show any reaction, he asked again.

"Who_ are_ you?"

He didn't notice when the girl's hands turned slack at the side of the bed.

"Where am I?" Zero looked about the room – it seemed normal enough, it had a dresser, a closet, a door that probably led to the bathroom and another to the kitchen. The windows were open, but the curtains were pulled shut and the room was dimly lit.

The hand that smacked his shoulder playfully caught him off guard, and he winced.

The brunette was smiling at him widely, laughing.

"You're so mean, Zero! How could you pretend you've forgotten me?"

The fair-haired boy looked at her strangely.

"...Have we met?"

The girl's face fell immediately, and she looked at him earnestly.

"...You don't...remember me?"

She leaned in closer, pointing to herself.

"I'm Yuuki! Yuuki Cross!"

The name sounded foreign to his ears. He shook his head at her.

"...I don't recall knowing anyone by that name."

The girl, Yuuki, looked absolutely stunned. Did he really know her? He jumped when she gripped the side of his bed again.

"Then, do you remember who you are? What about the school?"

Zero regarded her strangely again.

_...School?_

"My name is Kiryuu Zero." A sharp pain shot up to his head as he tried to say anything further, and he realized that aside from his name, his mind was completely blank.

...He couldn't remember anything.

Yuuki was staring at him with an intense and worried expression.

He remained silent for a while.

"...I don't remember anything else."

----

"He's lost his memory?"

The Chairman was pacing about the room worriedly when Yuuki came in to tell him the news.

"He can't remember anything other than his name. He's forgotten about me, and the school – even his family!"

The Chairman frowned, now stalking back to his desk and sitting down.

"...But it was just a fire! It couldn't have made him lose his memory!" Yuuki was beyond worried, she was outright distraught.

"He could have suffered a concussion when the pillar fell on him, Yuuki. Memory loss is not entirely impossible." The Chairman sighed loudly, resting his chin on his hands.

"...That means he's forgotten what he is, Yuuki...As well as the existence of others of his kind."

Yuuki looked out of the window, her brows furrowed with worry.

"He's forgotten that he's a hunter, about the Vampire race completely."

The Chairman's features softened.

"...But this may not entirely be a bad thing, Yuuki."

The girl turned to her adoptive father in confusion and was greeted with a smile.

"That means he's forgotten his hate as well."

There was a glint in the girl's eye, something that was akin to hope.

"...But that's betraying Zero, isn't it? Even just a little bit."

The Chairman sighed again, looking away from his adopted daughter and nodding.

"But I'll leave it to you on what you want to tell him, Yuuki. I'm sure you're thinking for his best."

The girl had stared after her father's retreating back until he left the room.

----

Zero was in pain.

He couldn't remember what it was that got him in this battered state in the first place, let alone recall anything about this 'school' that the girl keeps talking about.

"_You're a Guardian. You and I patrol the school to make sure that students don't sneak out of their respective dormitories at night. We keep the school safe." _

…_Safe from what?_

Zero sighed, rubbing his temples absently. He didn't know why, but he felt a thirst in his throat that he just couldn't get rid of, no matter how much water he drank.

The door swung open, and that girl was standing there, holding a tray with a box of pills and a glass of water.

"How are you feeling, Zero?"

He didn't know why he felt comfortable allowing a complete stranger to address him by his name, but he didn't complain.

"...Not very good. I'm very thirsty, but I've already had six glasses of water."

The girl seemed to tense at his mentioning of thirst, but she set the tray on the bedside table, forcing a smile.

"That's normal! You're still healing anyhow."

She gestured to the pills awkwardly.

"Those pills should make you feel better." She smiled, but there was something in her eyes that told Zero that she wasn't really smiling at all.

He looked at her suspiciously for a moment, before reaching cautiously for one of the pink-coloured tablets, placing it on the palm of his hand and regarding it thoughtfully. He didn't know why, but the sight of the 'medication' made him want to puke.

"…What are these?"

She faltered a little, looking out the window before replying, as if she was afraid to meet him in the eye.

"…They're Vitamin Tablets! They'll make you feel better."

Zero uncertainly watched one of the pink things dissolve in the glass of water, turning into a thick angry red. He downed it as quickly as he could, ignoring the bitter taste on his tongue.

***

"Kiryuu has amnesia?"

Kuran Kaname was sitting in the Headmaster's office, a small look of surprise on his face.

"I was thinking of educating him as a Vampire, in order to correct the hate he's been harboring for so long. What do you think, Kaname-kun?" Cross smiled, cheerfully taking a sip from his coffee mug.

"…Transfer him to the Night Class?"

Kaname gave the idea some thought, arms folded, a small worried look on his face.

"What do you plan on telling him? He would not be too well received, even if he is a new slate, Rijichou. Also, accommodations would have to be made for him in the Moon Dorm. Are you sure that's what you want?"

The Chairman sighed, looking to the Pure-blood a little tiredly.

"That's why I need you, Kaname-kun. He needs you. _Yuuki_ needs you."

The brunet stiffened, his eyes steeling for a moment, before softening and relenting.

_If that's what'll make her happy._

"I'll make the necessary arrangements."

***

The room they moved him into was large and grand, something he'd never thought he'd be able to live in his whole life. The blond boy – Aidou – was showing him around the dorms, a small frown on his face. Zero didn't know why, but he had a strange urge to tackle the boy and simply beat him silly. He was introduced to the rest of the dorm's residents, and he took care to try and remember their names – he was curious about them – their beauty and unnatural grace.

"You'll be sharing a room with Kaname-sama." Aidou pushed open an expensive looking white door, allowing Zero to step inside first. He didn't enter the room though.

Zero silently wondered why, and who this 'Kaname-sama' was.

"He'll be with you in a few minutes. Just wait here and don't go anywhere."

Zero turned from the window to look back at Aidou, who was still standing outside the door. Aidou sent him a glare, before slamming the door close.

The silver-haired boy frowned, deciding to dismiss it and instead take a look at his surroundings.

Apparently there were no open rooms available until the next month, and the only room able to hold another person until then was the Dorm Leader's room.

Zero made himself comfortable on the small chair by the window, peering out into the darkness outside, enjoying the soft breeze that snuck in from the little crack in the curtains.

Then he saw something outside.

There was a little bird – he didn't know what bird exactly, but it was resting on a branch, shaking, with blood drying along the side of its left wing.

It looked like it was dying.

Zero stood up, slowly approaching the window, fully opening it.

He was going to try and save it.

He climbed onto the railing of the little balcony, hopping onto the tree branch above the one the bird was resting on, making sure to be as quiet as possible, and slowly reached out with his right hand, his left holding onto the bark of the tree.

"What are you doing?"

The voice made him jump and nearly fall off the tree, but he quickly regained balance, snatching the bird up gently before stabilizing himself against the trunk of the tree.

A brunet boy was watching him with a small frown on his face.

Zero looked back, cradling the now struggling bird against his shirt, he realized he had no way down or back to the room.

The brunet seemed to have figured that out as well.

"…Are you stupid?" The brunet leaned against the side of the window, his arms folded, a small smirk now growing on his startlingly beautiful face.

Zero was slightly put off by the remark, frowning and building his guard up.

"Who're you calling _stupid_?" Zero glared, not moving from his position.

"Who _are you_ anyway?" The silver-haired teen leaned against the trunk this time, figuring that until he could find a way down, he'd just make himself comfortable.

Half a second later, he found himself face to face with the boy that was standing at the window mocking him. Zero was so startled he would have fell off the tree if it hadn't been for the strong grip on his arms.

"I am Kuran Kaname." The brunet was on the branch with him, standing there with an inhuman grace, a small smile on his face. _A small kind smile_.

Kaname didn't give him any notice before scooping the slightly smaller boy in his arms and hopping back easily onto the tiny balcony and into the room. Zero didn't even have time to react as he was set down none-too-gently on the sofa near the desk, the bird taken from him.

He frowned as Kaname set the bird on the desk, opening one of the drawers to retrieve a medical kit.

There was relative silence in the room before Kaname spoke.

"Why did you decide to save this little one?"

Zero didn't know why, but his cheeks coloured.

"…I don't know. I just felt I needed to."

"Even if it meant that you may have gotten injured just as badly?"

"…I didn't think about that."

Kaname was shocked into silence by that honest answer, and he chuckled.

_He really did lose his memory._

"You're different, aren't you."

Zero looked up, a small glint in his eyes.

"…You knew me? That girl – Yuuki – she said I'd lost my memory. Were you one of the people I knew as well?"

Kaname was surprised at the sudden influx of questions from the normally stoic silver-haired boy.

He finished up bandaging the bird, taking it in his hands gently, he made his way toward Zero.

"Do you know what you are, Kiryuu-kun?"

The hunter looked into his eyes with none of the contempt that Kaname remembered.

"…I don't know. I don't remember anything aside from my name."

Kaname took the fair-haired boy's hand gently, settling the bird on it. Stroking its head softly.

"…You're a Vampire, Kiryuu-kun."

Zero's mind went blank.

"…A Vampire?"


	2. Chapter 2

"…_I don't know. I don't remember anything aside from my name."  
__Kaname took the fair-haired boy's hand gently, settling the bird on it. Stroking its head softly.  
_"…_You're a Vampire, Kiryuu-kun." _

A/N [forbiddenist]: Thank you to all who reviewed, thank you so much. Reviews keep us going. This chapter is co-written by Hikari Hayate (much love), and I know that there are some unresolved issues in this chapter, but fret not, they'll be dealt with in the next few chapters. Before you begin reading, I'd like to apologize for any shortcomings, and hope you'll forgive my mistakes.  
Enjoy.

A/N [Hikari Hayate]: Please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"… I'm a Vampire…?"  
Zero set the small bird on his lap, and moved to adjust his collar, a slow anger building in the pit of his stomach. Was this stranger trying to insult him?  
"What are you talking about…?"  
The older boy had chuckled. A soft, delightful twinkle of sound, before his amber eyes trained on Zero, devoid of any laughter whatsoever.  
"You're a _Vampire_, Kiryuu-kun."  
The older boy didn't like repeating himself, and even that much was obvious to the silver-haired youth.  
Anger flared in the ex-prefect's eyes.  
"Are you trying to say something?" he snapped, turning to glare at the pureblood, unintentionally frightening the little creature on his lap with his volume and sudden movement.  
The older boy stepped forward, into the moonlight, the soft white glow made his skin an almost deathly shade, his beautiful eyes reflecting the light almost eerily, which made Zero hold his breath.  
"_You_ are a _Vampire_, Kiryuu-kun. Don't make me repeat myself. I am not implying anything, nor accusing you of anything, I am merely stating facts."  
Zero let go of the breath he had been holding, which ended in a barely audible sigh. He shook his head, returning to stroking the startled bird on his lap.  
"Vampires don't exist. They're a myth. Nothing more. There's no such things as Vampires."  
Upon hearing what the pale-haired youth had declared, Kaname had outright broken out into laughter. …Mocking, _knowing_ laughter. This was so ironic, so _very ironic_, he thought. The once great Vampire Hunter, Kiryuu Zero, _denying the existence of Vampires? _Kaname collected himself quickly, a small taunting smirk gracing his lips.  
Zero's eyes narrowed. His like of the older boy was declining by the millisecond.  
He gently set the bird on the empty space on the seat beside him, rising to meet the brunet's gaze, he glared.  
"Are you trying to make fun of me?"  
He stepped closer to the slightly taller boy, anger rolling off him in volumes.  
Kaname merely tilted his head to the side slightly, bringing up a sculpted hand to rest thoughtfully on his chin.  
"Kiryuu-kun, you're my guest. I couldn't possibly be making fun of you. You, who are my _brethren_,"  
Zero's lilac eyes had darkened to an almost violent shade, but he couldn't help but be surprised at what the words that just left the taller boy's mouth meant.

_He was a Vampire too._

Zero opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask, to confirm it with his own ears, to demand proof and an explanation, but an elegant movement from Kaname stopped him.  
The pureblood was holding something in his hand.

_It was the same pink pill that girl gave him._

The soft chocolaty voice brought his attentions back to the vampire in front of him.  
"Do you know what this is, Kiryuu-kun?"  
The silver-haired boy choked on his reply.  
"V-vitamins?"  
The brunet raised an elegant eyebrow, a small amused expression on his face.  
"No, Kiryuu-kun. I'm afraid they're not as innocent as you think them to be."  
The brunet moved silently to the other side of the room, and Zero watched as those graceful hands raised a glass of water into his vision. The slightly taller youth dropped the tablet into the glass, quietly observing the clear liquid turn into something darker, almost bronze in the dim light of the room.  
"This, Kiryuu-kun, is blood."

Zero felt his heart stop.  
Speechless, he took a step backward, the back of his knees hitting the seat he had just vacated, as the older student moved toward him, silently, with an unearthly grace.  
"It's a chemical substitute, and nowhere as good as the real thing, but it is still _blood_. I'm sure you've noticed that strange thirst at the back of your throat that cannot be quenched by any other liquid?" The Vampire then took a sip, frowning a little at the bitter taste, his gaze never leaving angry and confused violet ones.  
Zero eyed the glass warily as everything pieced itself together in his head, but he swallowed his fear and met the brunet's amber gaze head on.  
"Is this whole school full of Vampires?"  
Kaname's smile widened, just a little.  
"You're not afraid of me, Kiryuu-kun? You're not afraid of yourself? Don't you doubt what I'm saying? Don't you want to know why I'm telling you this?" Kaname broke eye contact, now changing his course to the study table by the window, setting the glass down on the desk.  
"…Instead you ask me whether the academy is full of us."  
The brunet turned to the younger boy again, this time letting out a lazy yawn that gave the slightly smaller boy a glimpse of long, glistening canines.

_Fangs._

Kaname watched the myriad of emotions unfold on the fair-haired boy's face, secretly enjoying the honesty of the boy's reactions. These were reactions based on emotion alone, unclouded by prejudice, hate or anger. The silver-haired boy looked up, and the emotion that poured out of the boy's eyes startled Kaname.  
The boy _was _scared.  
Kaname decided to soften his approach, a small frown gracing his features. He was not one to attack an unarmed enemy.  
"Kiryuu-kun."  
The boy was now sitting, his hands at either side of his head, trying to absorb all the information that had just been thrust upon him.  
"I'm sorry if I startled you. Let's just say that we didn't use to get along."  
The silver-haired boy was still tense, but he had relaxed a little upon hearing Kaname's tone soften, his eyes searching the brunet's face for any lie.

After a while, Zero voiced a question that had Kaname at a loss for words.

"Did you hate me?"  
The taller youth thought about it, before deciding to tell the ex-prefect the truth.  
"No, I didn't." Kaname turned away then, a small thoughtful look on his face, and Zero knew that that was all the answer he was going to get out of the older boy tonight. Kaname had languidly gestured to the single bed placed directly on the right of the master bed, and informed the ex-prefect that that would be his bedding for the next month.  
"I'm sleeping next to you?"  
"Do you happen to see any other agreeable space to squeeze a bed in this room, Kiryuu-kun?"  
The younger boy mumbled an annoyed negative, before deciding that he was rather at ease now, and relaxing in his seat, picked up the little bird that was trying to make its way off the sofa and to the window. The brunet regarded him for a moment as the ex-prefect stroked its head, a smile threatening to break onto his face at the cute little chirps he received.  
Kaname frowned as he tore his eyes away, settling instead for making his way to the door.  
"You don't have to start classes until later in the week, after all the paperwork has been sorted out. Stay here in the meanwhile. You may explore the dormitories should you please. But I would encourage you not to leave the dorms unless escorted, lest you lose your way on campus."  
Zero looked up from his new little friend, shooting the other vampire a look.  
"Where are you going?"  
Kaname turned back, a small tired look on his face.  
"I'm going to handle said paperwork, Kiryuu-kun. Stay in the dorm, please." And with that Kaname departed, leaving the silver-haired youth alone with his little bird.

* * *

Zero couldn't find anywhere to put the bird, so he improvised, emptying one of the large square-ish decorative bowls he found, he placed the bird inside it, on top of a towel he had found in the bathroom that he had placed over the base, surrounding the sides with random tomes that he hoped weren't important, successfully building a fence, he admired his work with a small look of triumph. He then left the room and went down the long carpeted hallway, taking note to remember which door he had come from, trying to recall what that Aidou guy had told him.  
He walked past a vast dining hall, one that looked like it belonged in a castle more than a dormitory, complete with long table and high-backed chairs that looked fit for royalty. He had only caught glimpses of the rooms when he was with Aidou. The ex-prefect raised an eyebrow, going into the living room now, or rather the Home room, where he took note of a large corkboard filled with announcements and rules that covered one of the walls, reveling at the plush carpeting and the expensive looking seating arrangements, descending a small curved flight of stairs he came into the entrance leading out to the courtyard, which looked as grand as the rest of the establishment, and he ventured outside.  
He walked until he reached the gates, which were closed, he thought bemusedly, mapping out the area in his brain. He didn't know why, but he felt he needed desperately explore. He stood there for a moment, peering at the gates, the warning from that Kuran-jerk replaying in his brain. He thought about it for a while.  
He hopped onto the gate and started climbing.  
He landed neatly on his feet, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, and he had barely reached the shadow of one of the buildings before he heard a soft growl and a gasp on his left.

"Who-"

He fell silent as he took in the sight of a boy in the same white uniform that Kuran had worn, in his arms a girl wearing a black uniform, and he was kissing her neck. Zero blanched – couldn't they find a better place to do such things? But something was wrong. He hid behind an arch, a faint sweet, metallic scent greeting his nostrils. The smell got stronger, and the boy was moaning softly, the girl had fallen silent, panting.  
Was he drinking her blood?  
Zero had a sudden urge to shoot the boy, but he had nothing on him.  
He tried to move closer, but snapped a twig in the process.  
The boy's head had shot up, and his gaze immediately fell on Zero.  
"Well, well. What do we have here?"  
The girl had fell to the ground with a dull thud as the boy released her, now stalking toward the silver-haired youth.  
"Mr. Prefect! Unarmed to boot. What are you going to do now that you've seen me drink her blood? Shoot me with your _absent gun_?"  
_A gun? What was this guy talking about?  
_Cold laughter greeted Zero's ears.  
"You know, I never liked you. Always acting so high and mighty, as if you owned the damned place."  
Zero's mind was reeling. What was he going on about? He didn't even _know_ this guy!  
"Maybe karma's getting back at you, huh?"  
The eyes that met his were glowing, like dull embers, growing stronger as that body ingested the blood he had just stolen. Hands that had looked normal had transformed into claws. The expression on the boy's face was that of inebriation; he was _high_.  
Zero had backed away, jerking backward instinctively a second later as the other vampire launched at him, aiming for his throat repeatedly, the third making actually making contact with the ex-prefect's arm, drawing blood. He clutched at his wound as he started bleeding, the scent of his own blood flooding his nostrils, eyes wide and muscles twitching. Zero dashed into one of the corridors, his eyes searching for any potential weapons, but somehow or other, the other vampire had managed to land another blow on him, a sharp kick to the abdomen, which sent him into the closest wall. He was caught off guard again as he recovered, somehow barely dodging a fatal blow to the neck, near his tattoo. Blood started pouring freely; the bastard had scraped his collar bone! Crimson colored his white shirt, and the smell of his own blood, as well as the loss of it, coupled with white pain made him heady and dizzy. He forced himself to continue running, instinctively putting pressure on the newly opened wound in a clumsy attempt to stop the bleeding, hissing as hot pain shot up his neck, he rushed further into the dark recesses of the deserted academy, and had just come onto a small courtyard when the creature had finally caught up. He was panting, more in pain than exhaustion, and closed his eyes as the _boy_ towered over him.  
The silver-haired youth's panting rang across the small yard, and both figures froze when they heard a soft tutting.  
"That's as far as you go."  
The same deep, melodic voice sent waves of shock that was followed by surprised relief coursing through the ex-prefect's being.  
_Somehow, he knew that Kuran could handle this. _  
"What did I tell you about leaving the dorm?"

Kuran Kaname stood leaning against one of the pillars, a small unhappy look on his perfectly sculpted face, amber gaze looking past the boy and meeting violet ones, silently reprimanding.  
Zero bristled as the boy's startled attention stayed locked on Kaname, and took a step away from the brunet before he broke out into a mad run.  
Zero's ears had barely picked up on the soft sigh that escaped the older boy's lips as the boy was apparently pushed to the ground by some invisible force and held there, his arms twisted in uncomfortable angles as he cried out in pain. Zero turned away from the struggling boy when he heard a single loud snap that echoed in the little open area.  
"...what…?" he was speechless; he had obviously missed what the pureblood did to the other vampire, but he wasn't as scared as he should have been. He was more annoyed than anything, really. Another jolt of searing pain from his wounds made him hiss as he tried to move.  
The brunet's gaze fell on him calmly, lowering the hand he had raised languidly; he stepped out into the moonlight for the second time that night.

Again, Zero's breath caught in his throat.  
"Can you stand?"  
The silver-haired youth frowned, wincing as he forced himself upright, ignoring the small surprised look on the brunet's face. Kaname had frowned in turn, stepping closer to the younger boy and glared.  
"You shouldn't push yourself, Kiryuu-kun. You're injured."  
The ex-prefect ignored him, instead making his way toward the corridor he had come from, easily recognizing it from the trail of blood.  
"The girl…"  
Kaname gave him a look that bordered on annoyed, before trailing behind him quietly, his captive in tow.  
"She has been collected by Ichijou."  
"Who's he?"  
Zero was starting to slur.  
Kaname frowned, not even turning to acknowledge the existence of the boy that was restrained by that same invisible force and trailing behind them.  
"The Vice-dorm leader. Don't worry, Kiryuu-kun. That girl is in safe hands,"  
Zero chuckled, albeit morbidly. Lilac eyes were laced with pain as he finally leaned against a wall for relief; pausing in his slow and painful progress back. Kaname had looked on with slight concern, but kept a polite distance away.  
_Kaname wasn't helping Zero unless he asked for help.  
_Zero panted, the pain clouding his senses and vision, and he finally succumbed to it as his vision slowly faded to black, but not before he heard Kuran shout his name, and the feeling of strong arms hoisting him upright.

---

Zero's light lashes fluttered open.  
His vision was still cloudy, and he could barely make out patches of colour – chocolate brown, amber, and cream.  
Was he dreaming?  
He barely processed the movement around him, the slight pressure on his jaw, someone parting his lips. Something soft pressed against his lips, and he felt hot breath on his face. Something warm and strong pushed past his lips, to greet his tongue, and he felt warm liquid flowing into his mouth, some of it escaping and making trails down his jaw, onto what he figured to be the pillow he was propped up on. He creased his brows at the bitter taste, letting out a long moan, blinking, trying to regain memory of what had happened and what was going on.  
He nearly choked as he raised his hand to push away the solid presence that was looming over him.  
What greeted his ears was a slightly surprised voice.  
"You're awake?"  
Zero tried to push himself up on his elbows, trying to ignore the dull throbbing pain he still felt in his abdomen, collar and arm, licking his lips absently, a small frown on his features. His vision cleared a little, and he heard bustling on his left, a few more blinks set his vision right again, and he saw a Kuran Kaname sitting on the bed to his left, a small tray set beside him, with a glass of…  
…blood.

"I've fed you some of it, and now that you're awake, I'm quite sure you're capable enough to finish the rest."

Zero took a second to absorb the information, before his he visibly stiffened.  
_Fed him? As in…mouth-to-mouth? Didn't that mean that….  
_Zero lowered his head as he mourned the loss of his first kiss….to a _man_.  
Kaname ignored the little crestfallen look on the silver-haired boy's face and set the tray on the empty nightstand, moving to get off the bed.  
"The intake of the tablets will help you heal faster, though they really can't compare to real blood." Kaname gave a slightly irritated look.  
"You've lost a lot of blood during that _encounter_, despite my warnings."  
Zero's voice sounded hoarse and foreign even to himself.  
"_You_ just didn't want me to get lost."  
"You would have _died_ if I wasn't there."  
"What _were_ you doing there in the first place?"  
"I was on my way to the Chairman's quarters to talk about _you_, when I caught whiff of _your_ blood."  
The both glared at each other for a moment, before proceeding to ignoring each other.

There was relative silence before Zero piped up.  
"I'm not drinking that."  
Kaname had turned, wide eyed and annoyed, to glare at the ex-prefect.  
_Obviously_, some things ran deeper than memory. (A/N: Thank you!)  
"What _do you mean_ you're not drinking that?"  
Zero had met Kaname's angry gaze, and shrugged.  
He _shrugged_.  
Kaname didn't know whether he wanted to hurl the boy out of the window or slowly bleed him dry.  
"You're a _Vampire_, you _have to_ drink that. Do you _want_ to die, Kiryuu-kun? Or maybe go mad from blood-lust and just _devour_ any hapless soul that just so happens to cross your path? Oh, wait. You'd be _dead_ before you can _even do that_ because the bloody _hunter's guild_ will be after your _sorry ass _before you can even sigh._"  
_Zero was about to say something, when Kaname cut him off.  
"And if you _do_ want to die, I can provide you with some much _better _alternatives."  
After that outburst, Zero had just looked at Kaname in stunned silence.

_Wow._ Zero thought, never expecting the older vampire to explode like that, and it had occurred to him as funny. He eyed the silently fuming taller boy who had started fidgeting.  
"…Like what?"  
"_What?_" Kaname snapped, turning to glare at the other boy again, wondering whether the ex-hunter was actually _trying_ to get him more angry than he already was. _This wasn't a joke, damn it!  
_"What better alternatives?"  
Kaname wanted to punch that smug face.

"Like jumping off a cliff or drowning yourself in the god forsaken fountain in the bloody courtyard!"  
Zero regarded him silently, and Kaname suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, a light colour touching his cheeks, embarrassed that he had snapped like that.  
"…Any other more _novel_ ways to die?"  
Kaname nearly choked on his own saliva. The smile on the younger boy's lips told him that at least one person in the conversation was actually enjoying it.  
_Two could play at this game.  
_Kaname calmed himself down, a smirk adorning his features now.  
"You could slip over a banana peel and hope you die of a severe head injury."  
Zero raised an eyebrow at this, outright breaking out into laughter now.  
"My head would have to hit some awesome kind of rock!"  
The older vampire smiled. All the irritation that had built up in his gut was ebbing away slowly as he listened to the peals of laughter from the other boy in the room, eyes roaming over the silver hair, fair skin, lean and muscular build.  
_This was a side of Kiryuu Zero he had never seen._  
"You're strange; you know that, Kiryuu-kun?"  
Zero had looked up with bright lilac eyes, granting the younger boy an almost childish quality. Kaname had felt his heart quicken, if just a little.  
"You enjoy talking about how you might die."  
Kaname's body posture had softened, and he eyed the boy with a startling fondness.  
Zero didn't answer, but smiled.  
The older vampire's gaze fell onto the cup on the tray on the nightstand again, and frowned.  
"Drink it, Kiryuu-kun. You need it."  
The ex-prefect pouted, as _manly_ as a pout was able to get, turning away from Kaname to look toward the far wall on his right.  
"I'm not thirsty. Besides, that thing tastes disgusting."  
The brunet watched the younger boy as he leaned back against the pillow again, pulling the comforter over his head.  
_Like a kid._  
"But you'll drink it?"  
There was silence from the boy, and Kaname thought he heard soft snoring.

* * *

A/N [forbiddenist]: We hope you've liked this chapter. All the reviews for the first chapter got us really happy! Thank you all again. The next update may take longer than this one, because I have a major exam next next week, and probably won't be able to touch the computer let alone write anything for about another two weeks. My sincerest apologies! Please drop us a review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm terribly sorry I took so long to write this, but I had a terribly large _mountain_ of things I had to do before I could continue _ANY_ of my stories, really. So, after such a long wait, I hope you'll enjoy this. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long. Thank you for the reviews and alerts!

* * *

_  
The brunet watched the younger boy as he leaned back against the pillow again, pulling the comforter over his head.  
Like a kid.  
"But you'll drink it?"  
There was silence from the boy, and Kaname thought he heard soft snoring._

* * *

_He was dreaming._

_He heard girls' fanatical screaming of names and somehow recognized those wistful looks on their faces._

_A familiar voice greeted his ears._

"_Everybody, please move back! Go back to your rooms this instant!"_

_He frowned as he heard several unfriendly comments voiced to the petite brunette who was desperately trying to maintain order and peace as she tried to block the mass of students from getting near the gates._

_At this instant, the gates swung open and revealed the students in white uniforms, with their ethereal grace and terrifying elegance. _

_The body of students that had gathered outside seemed to intensify in spirit, knocking the girl to the floor. The screams died down to hushed whispers as a familiar brunet stopped in front of the latter. _

_Amber eyes fell on the small form of the girl fondly.  
He frowned again this time actually recognizing the figures that were interacting before him. It all seemed so familiar. _

_The girl's fair cheeks flushed._

"_Are you okay, Yuuki? They are difficult, are they not?"_

"… _Ah, Kaname-senpai! Yes! I'm alright, thank you for your concern!"_

_The brunette shot up, brushing off her uniform, shyly looking down to the floor. _

_The brunet's gaze followed her, chuckling and flashing her one of his beautiful, perfect smiles. _

"_You're always so formal with me, Yuuki. It breaks my heart, you know?"_

_Hearing the brunet's words, the brunette panicked. _

"_N-No, I didn't mean to! It's just because you're the person who saved my life…"_

_The brunet chuckled once more, resting his long fingers on girl's head, ruffling her hair gently. _

_She looked frighteningly small. _

_Almost immediately, a hand grabbed the brunet's and moved it away from the female prefect's head._

_He nearly gasped when he saw who that hand belonged to._

"_Class is starting, Kuran."_

_The fair-haired boy's voice was laced with ice, and the brunet had frowned, amber eyes darkening, before turning, moving to join the rest of the students in the white uniforms, pausing only to say:_

"_You're scaring me, Mr. Prefect."_

_The brunet was facing the sliver-haired youth, with a slight mocking smile on his fine features. He was replied with a scowl. _

_The students in the white-uniforms had barely left when the sliver-haired boy turned to the screaming Day Class girls and shouted at them with a voice that could have rivaled thunder._

"… _LISTEN UP!!! GET BACK TO YOUR DORMS BEFORE I BREAK YOU INTO SO MANY PIECES YOU'LL REGRET YOU WERE EVER HERE!!! MUST I ENDURE ALL YOUR SWOONING AND SCREAMING EVERY BLOODY DAMNED DAY!!!!!!"_

_He himself jerked to attention at the crude yet effective command._

_The body of students quieted to a pregnant silence, before they all turned, running to their dorms. _

_The brunette sighed, setting hands on slim hips. She turned to the sliver-haired boy and playfully punched his back. _

"_Sheesh, Zero, you're late again! You useless jerk, where you were a moment ago when I needed you most!"_

_The Zero in his dream frowned, a small playful smirk threatening to break out on his handsome features._

"_You're gonna get it from me later." _

"_Yeah right, as if!"_

Zero stirred, lazily blinking as his vision focused, his brain still hazy as it tried to make sense of the dream he'd just had. The 'Zero' in his dreams seemed like a complete stranger. He rolled over, pushing himself up on his elbows, taking time to absorb his surroundings – the luxury he was surrounded by. This was going to take some getting used to. He looked over to the Kuran's bed, a myriad of questions that needed answers surfacing in the back of his mind, only to find it empty and made, almost as if the Kuran hadn't been there at all. Zero sighed, but slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom to clean up.  
Bird (because Kaname and Zero couldn't think of a better name) chirped happily from its perch in the little white cage that Kaname had gotten ready, and Zero leaned in closer to smile.

The whole room smelled like Kuran-jerk, but strangely enough, it wasn't exactly unpleasant.  
He knew that the Kuran was _important_, but he didn't really know how so.  
…He also hadn't thanked him for saving him last night.

He sunk into the sofa, feeling like he could melt into it, when the door clicked open.

"Ah."  
The Pureblood and the ex-prefect stared at each other for a moment, before Kaname looked away and made his way to the desk.  
Kaname's voice broke the awkward silence between the two boys.  
"I've already handled your paperwork, Kiryuu-kun. You'll be attending classes this coming Monday. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask them."  
Zero frowned – he tried to think of some of the questions that had surfaced earlier about his dream, but somehow, they were all lost to him.  
"You sound like a teacher."  
Kaname didn't answer, but instead opened the first drawer on the left, withdrawing a black varnished wooden box from it, and set it lightly on the table. He then stared at the silver-haired boy until he got his attention.  
"What?"  
"Come over here, Kiryuu-kun."  
Zero raised a fine eyebrow, but got up from his perch and made his way to where the Kuran was seated, a small look of curiosity taking over his features (as disinterested as he told himself to be).  
In the black box, nestled in what looked like red velvet, was a silver gun.  
The Kuran nudged the box toward the ex-hunter, a small unreadable expression on his perfect features.  
Inexplicably, as if he had known this gun his entire life, Zero immediately recognized it.

"_Bloody Rose_."

It left his lips as a whisper, and as his fingers made contact with the metal the Kuran's face darkened.  
"You recognize it, Kiryuu-kun?"  
Zero didn't notice the change in the Kuran's demeanor, and replied, almost enthusiastically.  
"Yes! I don't remember ever seeing this gun, but somehow, I know its name!"  
The silver-haired boy started to laugh childishly, now swinging the gun around, fooling around with random poses.  
Kaname's look softened a little, before leaning against the palm of his hand.  
"Do you know what it does, Kiryuu-kun?"  
"No idea. Well, it's a gun, so I guess it shoots people?"  
"It's _your_ gun, and yes, it shoots, but its main purpose is specific."  
"What, does it kill mice?" The younger boy chuckled.  
"No, Kiryuu-kun. It kills _vampires_."  
The room fell silent once again, before Zero laughed, albeit shakily.  
"Why're you putting a gun like this in my hands? I could kill you."  
Zero had no doubt that the Kuran wasn't lying – Kuran Kaname hasn't lied to him at all so far, so why would he lie about something so important?  
"But you won't."  
Zero's lilac eyes trained on Kaname in slight surprise.  
"What makes you so sure?"

Kaname returned with a smirk.  
"You _wouldn't be able to_."

Zero's temper flared for an instant, an inexplicably natural urge surfaced – the urge to point the gun at Kuran and _fire_, but he held back.

"What makes you so great?" the younger boy huffed, turning away, putting the gun back into the black box with an attitude, glaring at the older boy.

"I'm a _pureblood_, Kiryuu. I'm practically royalty."  
Zero didn't reply immediately, but conceded and eyed the Kuran silently.  
"Well, you _look _it. Why're you bothering with a _commoner_ like me then?"  
"Because you're important to Yuuki."  
Flashes of the dream from last night attacked his mind, and for some reason, Zero felt his heart sink a little, but he shook his head, ignoring the questioning look that gesture earned from the pureblood, the silver-haired boy made his way back to the sofa, throwing himself down on it.

"…_Yuuki's_ important to you?" The name was still foreign on his lips.  
"Yes. She's the most important person in my life."  
There was no hesitance, no delay in the brunet's answer.  
Zero didn't know _why_, but he felt extremely _angry_ all of a sudden.  
He got up, glaring at the pureblood, mumbling something about 'a walk', he had hardly reached the door when he felt a strong grip on his arm that surprised him enough to nearly punch the pureblood who was now standing behind him.  
"What the hell, Kuran! Don't freak me out like that!" The pureblood didn't reply, but was holding the box out.  
The distance between them was uncomfortably small.  
Kaname could smell the younger boy's shampoo, which was disturbingly wonderful, and the warm breath that nearly reached his collar was secretly pleasant too. If he noticed the slight pinkish tinge on the younger boy's fair cheeks he didn't say anything. Kaname gathered himself before speaking.  
"Take the gun with you, Kiryuu. I don't want a repeat incident of last night."  
Zero's gaze hardened, and he snatched the gun from its case, before stalking out the door in silent fury, (the cause of which he was unsure of himself), tucking the gun in the waistband of his pants, he set off onto the school grounds.

He made it to the fountain just outside the dormitories, seating himself in front of it, he sighed. He didn't understand why his heart sank when the Kuran said that he cared only because of Yuuki.  
_She was the only reason he was helping him_.  
But what should it matter? It had nothing to do with one Zero Kiryuu, it was their business whether they wanted to get together or hate each other's guts, right? Besides, he only met the Kuran two nights ago! He shouldn't be caring about his personal affairs! He remembered the dream he had, recalling the way the two had interacted even in his dream, which somehow made him _unhappy_, he sighed unconsciously, a small frown on his face. It appeared to Zero that he was somehow _in denial_, it bothered him to know that Kuran cared for pretty much _everyone_ although he didn't seem to, and that that stupid Cross girl was at the top of that list. Kuran-jerk made it sound as if there was absolutely no value in _him_, _Kiryuu Zero_, except for being someone important to Yuuki. The Kuran somehow managed to make it sound as if he was running a _charity_ for Zero Kiryuus who lost their memories.

He let out a sound akin to a growl, before releasing his anger by firing a few rounds into the night air, chuckling morbidly as he heard the flutter of wings as birds took off in fright.

So Kiryuu Zero was to some point a sadist. _So what?_

He huffed again, seating himself on the ledge of the fountain. He remained that way for a while, listening to the sound of running water. He didn't hear the footsteps behind him.  
"Kiryuu,"  
The ex-hunter nearly jumped at the quiet voice, but collected himself quickly, before turning to eye the object of his unhappiness.  
"Kuran(jerk)."  
Kuran Kaname frowned, moving closer to the silver-haired boy, his footsteps lost in the sound of the running water.  
"I'd appreciate you not interrupting classes by your gunfire, Kiryuu-kun. The others may think that something has…_occurred_." Amber eyes regarded the ex-prefect coolly. Lilac eyes faltered in return.  
"I – I – Why do you care?"  
Kaname smiled, now standing hardly a foot away from the ex-hunter.  
"You forget I'm Dorm head?"  
The silver-haired boy's eyes widened slightly, before looking away with slightly flushed cheeks, a small childish frown on his pouting lips. Kaname caught himself staring, and immediately tore his gaze away.

The pureblood seated himself beside the ex-hunter, an unreadable expression on his face.

Surprisingly, it was Zero who broke the silence.

"…Is that the only reason you're helping me?"

Kaname shot him a look, before letting out a soft sigh.

"Yes."  
Something in Zero's eyes hardened at the brunet's answer, but the silence took over once again.

"Well, thank you then."  
Zero stood, leaving the brunet alone at the fountain, not looking back as he made his way back into the dormitories, hiding the strange feeling in his chest.

* * *

It had been a week, and Zero had started classes – it wasn't easy getting used to the time change – he still had trouble staying up through the night sometimes, as well as waking up at intervals during the day. Surprisingly, the people in his classes were quite sociable, if not only diplomatically so, and he was actually making friends. He got along well with Akatsuki Kain, although being around him meant being around Aidou, Zero realized that Aidou really wasn't that much of an annoying, childish brat – he was actually really smart. The rest of the group accepted him rather fairly, Ichijou Takuma being the most enthusiastic, Senri Shiki and Tohma Rima didn't seem to mind him joining them at all, or rather, he fancied that they rather liked his company. He had taken a while to get Aidou's approval, when he had first arrived Aidou had _refused to be in the same room as him_, and Zero thought that it was maybe due to the character he had before he lost his memories, but as time passed, Hanabusa Aidou had somehow grown on him. He was really quite content with the group of people he had come to know as "friends", because he couldn't remember the ones he had before the "_incident_", as Kaname so liked to call it, if he even had any.

But there was one person who simply refused to associate with him at all. This person was none other than Souen Ruka, who he personally thought was quite pretty, but then again, so was the _rest_ of the Night Class. She had outright iced him from the very first second he stepped into the classroom, shooting him dirty looks when he was just _walking past_, which annoyed Zero to some extent. But the thing was, _she_ wasn't the only one.

Some of the rest of the Night Class had given him looks, some that clearly said that he didn't belong. He had overheard a random conversation while passing the common room.

"…filthy ex-human! Rooming with Kaname-sama, and actually having the guts to cling to Kaname-sama's inner circle…"

"…After all that he's claimed about his hate for us…Does he seriously think that we'd believe he'd forget something like that?"

Zero had stopped in his tracks, accidentally dropping his book on the floor, startling the two in the nearly deserted Home Room, who had merely looked down before scurrying off, brushing past him rather rudely.

Zero frowned, suppressing a growl, but bent to pick up his books. He rose to find Hanabusa Aidou's stunning eyes trained on him.

"Aidou."  
The shorter vampire nodded in acknowledgement, a small frown on his handsome features, and he made his way nearer to the ex-hunter, almost cautiously.

"Aren't you angry?"

Zero raised an eyebrow, but a morbid smile was creeping over his lips.

Aidou waited patiently for him to reply, but he remained silent, now leaning against the closest wall.

"Of course I'm angry." Zero let the back of his head touch the wall as he leaned into it. Aidou's eyes remained on him.

"I have _no fucking idea what they're talking about_."

He really didn't. Did he really hate these people? If he did, why did he? What did they do to him? What happened in his past?

He picked up the scent of Hanabusa Aidou's coat a second later, and before he could react, Aidou was in his comfort zone.

The shorter boy's face was inches from his own.

"Then you should start finding out, Kiryuu."

The silver-haired boy bristled, glaring at the blond, pushing himself away from the wall and brushing past the other vampire, only to be stopped by a whisper.

"It's only right that you know what your past is."

* * *

He pushed open the door to find the curtains drawn and the lights off, suggesting that Kaname had yet to return, so he simply chucked his books on the tiny table next to his bed, before proceeding to throw himself on said bed. He let out a huge sigh, silently pondering exactly what kind of person he was before the "incident".

…Somehow he felt incomplete.

He felt stupid, insignificant, confused.

_Was he half the person he was before? Like merely a shadow, without his memories?_

_What was he here for?_

A click at the door derailed his darkening train of thoughts, and Kaname stood at the door, elegant hands unbuttoning the white school jacket and undoing his tie. There was relative silence as Kaname busied himself about the room, changing into something more comfortable. Neither of them really minded changing in front of the other, and Zero had secretly enjoyed this privilege, lilac eyes roaming along lean yet powerful lines, soft cream in colour. He _secretly_ liked to watch the older boy's muscles ripple as he pulled off his shirt, pulling on a black button-on.

But Zero was more silent than usual today, and Kaname had turned to look at him.

Zero's surprised lilac eyes met suspicious auburn ones.

"…_What's wrong?_" Kaname's voice was low and soft, a little annoyed, but nothing along the lines of angry.

Zero didn't answer for a while, breaking the eye contact and staring at the carpet instead, he shrugged.  
Kaname made his way to the desk, seating himself down, he proceeded to glare at the younger boy.

"What did you hear?"

Again, Zero's eyes snapped up to meet Kaname's, both in surprise and in awe – he had only known the older boy for barely more than a week, and he already knew Zero so well.  
_No, he's known you far longer than that._

Zero's body stiffened, before looking away from the Kuran.  
"I…"  
Zero's hands were clutched tightly together.  
"It's none of your business."  
Kaname didn't reply, but his gaze had softened, now propped up on an elbow.

Zero fell silent, as if he didn't know whether he should continue or not, moving to hug his pillow and bury his face in it, he decided not to speak anymore. Kaname regarded the slightly shorter boy fondly, as he would if the boy was a child. The older boy waited patiently.

"_I don't know who I am_."  
Kaname didn't answer.  
"I don't know who I _really_ am – who I was before, who I am now. I'm _just_-"

"Does that matter, Zero?"  
Zero looked up, meeting Kaname's gaze for a while, before looking down again.  
"Easy for you to say, _you're_ not the one who doesn't have a clue to how you've been living your whole life."

Kaname chuckled, but conceded.

"What matters is the present, isn't it?"

Zero didn't answer.

"The past is already over, and what's done is done – it can't be changed. If you're too caught up with your past then you won't have time for the present, or even the future."

He then proceeded to continue his paper work, but when he was finally getting serious with his work, a shadow loomed over the desk.

"But it bothers me, Kuran."  
Kaname didn't reply again, but instead sifted through the paperwork on his desk.  
"Tell me, Kuran."  
Kaname didn't look up from his papers, the expression on his beautiful face darkening.  
"It's not my place, Kiryuu-kun."  
Zero's temper flared, and he slammed both fists on the mahogany desk, his normally pale lilac eyes burning into a violent violet.  
"It's _my_ right to know, Kuran. Now spit it out."

Kaname remained silent, but his garnet gaze now met the silver-haired boy's head-on, calmly, and stoically.

"I'm saying that I'm in no place to tell you anything."  
The Kuran's tone was clipped, short and allowing no argument, as much as Zero wanted to retort.  
"Please." The voice that left the ex-prefect's lips was soft, uncertain, weak.  
Zero didn't realize, but something inside him was aching. He wouldn't admit it, but he _trusted_ the Kuran. Even if he didn't exactly _like_ him – he trusted him. He _knew_ that Kaname wasn't helping out of his own goodwill; he knew he didn't mean _anything_ to the older boy, but he still craved for some kind of _response_. He wanted Kaname to do something for him, _Zero Kiryuu_, not _someone important to Yuuki Cross_.

"Kiryuu-kun," Zero's knuckles were clenched so tight they were turning white.

"I've already told you-"  
"That I mean absolutely _nothing_ to you, that I'm only here because your magnanimous and loving self wanted to do Yuuki Cross a favour, I _know_!" Zero resisted the urge to flip the table, settling for simply pulling away and storming toward the door. But at the doorway he paused, refusing to face the Kuran, but speaking loud enough that he could hear him.

"It's _my_ problem. I know."

The door slammed.

Kuran Kaname was left alone in his room, with a sinking feeling of guilt and a dull throb that he couldn't identify as he heard Zero's angry footsteps fade down the hall.

* * *

Thank you for reading! :D  
-forbiddenist


	4. Chapter 4

Rewind 4

"…_I mean absolutely nothing to you, that I'm only here because your magnanimous and loving self wanted to do Yuuki Cross a favour, I know!" Zero resisted the urge to flip the table, settling for simply pulling away and storming toward the door. But at the doorway he paused, refusing to face the Kuran, but speaking loud enough that he could hear him._

"_It's my problem. I know."_

_The door slammed._

_Kuran Kaname was left alone in his room, with a sinking feeling of guilt and a dull throb that he couldn't identify as he heard Zero's angry footsteps fade down the hall._

_

* * *

_

The next few days saw Zero completely ignoring Kaname's existence. He didn't greet him in the evenings, the early mornings went by without a word, with Zero speaking to everyone else but Kaname (hell, even Ruka got more words out of him than the Pure Blood). The silver-haired boy tried to stay out as late (or early) as possible before returning to the dorm and just showering and heading off to bed, without so much as a glance in Kaname's direction.

Zero decided that since the Kaname had established the fact that he wasn't wanted as _Zero_ in his presence, then he would stay out of the older boy's life as much as he could. He would be just _Yuuki's _friend, and that meant a total stranger to Kuran Kaname. The Kuran had drawn the line, and Zero would respect it. What Zero didn't know, was how much this behavior affected the subject of the treatment.

Kuran Kaname didn't like to be ignored. In fact, no one _dared_ to ignore him, and frankly, no one really wanted to. Kuran Kaname was just _not_ someone to be ignored.

And the fact that he was being ignored by some Level D vampire did not do anything to lift his already foul mood from the worried glances that Yuuki has been sending him every five seconds their eyes meet. It was frustrating, because those looks _almost_ _accused him_ of doing something to upset Zero, and anything that upset Zero upset her. It was like a sick chain of events that always had Kaname as the loser.

Kaname frowned, stubbornly keeping his gaze trained on the nearest tree branch outside his window while thinking about the silver-haired boy and his terrible attitude. It seemed that losing his memories didn't help his character development very much at all.

The day came fast, although Kaname was sure he wouldn't have noticed if not for the lethargy he was feeling. He put away the remaining paperwork on his desk, deciding that it could wait until later in the evening. He gazed over to the beds wearily, the ex-prefect was sleeping soundly, as if he hadn't a care in the world; Kaname sighed, pushing himself off the chair and toward the bathroom to have a quick shower before bed.

He had just begun to towel dry when he heard it.

Soft sobbing.

He was sure that if he didn't have superior hearing, he would have missed it completely.

But it wasn't what he heard that disturbed him as much as where he was hearing it from.

His bedroom.

Kaname slipped on a robe and stepped out, immediately heading over to the beds, where he saw a thrashing ex-hunter, tangled in his silk sheets and crying, but undoubtedly still asleep.  
The soft, helpless voice he heard next caught him completely off guard.

"No, please…" Zero's voice was hoarse; his face was no longer that peaceful expression the last time Kaname had checked, but a tragic, soulful look of pain, so much pain.

It sent shivers down Kaname's spine as he stood at the bed side and watched the silver-haired boy continue to plead with his dream, as he watched those perfect features contort in sorrow and despair.

"Stop…Don't…"  
Kaname could no longer stand the look on the other boy's face, deciding to wake him, he gently touched the younger boy's shoulder.

_He was with three people – a woman, a man and a boy. The boy looked just like him, but he was somehow smaller and a bit more sickly. The woman was all smiles and hugs, her voice was soft and comforting, her touch warm and gentle. The man was strong, his laughter __was charming and full of love. They were talking to him and the other boy, stroking his hair and his cheek. _

_He was laughing too._

_Then the door opened. _

_Both the man and the woman turned to face the intruder. He heard a soft laughter as the lights went out._

"_Both of you go upstairs, now." The woman pushed him behind her, towards the stairs. Zero instinctively took the other boy's hand, and led him quickly up the stairs._

_They went into their room when the sound of fighting started and didn't come out even after  
it ended._

_Something was wrong._

_They were hiding underneath the covers, huddled together. Two little boys with silver hair and lilac eyes, holding onto each other tightly. _

_They heard the door click open._

"_There you are."  
The voice was foreign, but smooth and sweet – and Zero had peeped out from under the sheets to see that woman. _

_The woman in the white kimono. _

_She came closer, and the both of them sat upright, alert, defiant._

_She backed away again then, a small smirk on her beautiful, doll-like face. She left the room with one last look._

Come.

_Zero frowned. He could feel the boy in his arms shivering.  
"Wait here." The older of the two boys crawled out of bed, softly padding down the stairs._

_What he saw made his throat dry up and his heart break._

_The woman in the kimono was standing in the middle of the room, her hand on the man's neck. His feet were clean off the ground. He seemed to be in pain. The woman was collapsed on the floor, there was blood trailing from the large wound at her side. The woman in the kimono was laughing softly, her slightly glowing eyes were crimson, and trained on the little boy standing at the bottom of the stairs.  
"Nice of you to join me, Zero-kun."  
_Who…?_  
The man's eyes snapped open, and he shouted at the boy, but the child couldn't register what he was saying. He couldn't breathe. He was too taken with the red flowers that were blooming on the woman's kimono – _

"_Zero, RUN!"_

_The boy heard a loud crack, before he heard the sick sound of thick liquid splattering to the floor. _

Zero's eyes snapped open instantly and he started to scream, frantically pushing away Kaname's hand, struggling to pull himself free of the sheets, retreating to a fetal sitting position, his hands covering his ears, his lilac gaze shifted around the room blindly, unable to register his bearings. Kaname moved closer again in an attempt to calm the boy, reaching for his arm this time when –

_SLAP!_

Both boys sat in shock as the sound resonated in the large, dark room; Zero too affected to have withdrawn his hand just yet. Kaname was now facing the floor from the force of the slap, a dark brooding look in his amber orbs. The younger boy was still shaking, and his hand was still held up, in mid-air, slightly outstretched.

Lilac eyes regarded amber ones with shock.  
"I…I…"  
Zero didn't know what to say. He was still so affected – he hadn't meant to do that. He never meant to wake like this. But the dream, the _dream was so real!_  
Kaname ignored the ex-prefect's stuttering. He took the younger boy's hand into his own.  
"What did you see?"  
Zero's eyes flicked to the tangled bed sheets now, as if trying to avoid Kaname's strong gaze. He brought his arms around himself.  
"I saw…I saw…my _family_…"  
Kaname's eyes narrowed as he continued to listen.  
"They were killed, _right in front of me_…" Scenes from the dream he had just woken from returned – _The blood, the blood, the blood._

_He could hear their screams as their throats were torn out._

…_The gurgle of __the red fluid that had flown out of their broken necks and the soft laughter that echoed off the walls in the darkness. The flash of silver fangs painted with scarlet. The feel of those very fangs on his neck -_

Fair lashes were moistened with tears.  
"I _couldn't do anything_."  
At that moment, something in Kaname snapped.  
"I couldn't-"  
Zero's lips were suddenly and none too gently pressed against a strong shoulder as the Pureblood embraced him; he could feel the older boy's breath against his ear, and the warmth and scent of the older boy was just so comforting at the moment that Zero had forgotten all his anger and pride, he simply felt. He felt the warm hand in his hair, gently stroking him, he felt the warmth of the Vampire's body against his own. He closed his eyes and just cried.

After what seemed like forever, Zero found the strength to push the pureblood away.

He avoided looking at the older boy's face, wiping his tears with the back of his hand; he turned to look at the other side of the bed.  
"I…don't need your pity, Kuran."  
Kaname didn't reply, but merely watched as the slightly smaller boy turned, pulling the covers over himself again, trying to hide his still shaking hands.

* * *

When Zero woke Kaname was already dressing for classes.

Zero sat up, his head still a little giddy from the events of last night, and the sound of Kaname's voice didn't help matters much.

"I've spoken to both the principal and the teacher, Kiryuu-kun. You're to stay in bed today until you're recovered."  
Zero scowled.  
"I'm _not sick_."  
"I'll have Aidou take notes for you. Should you need anything you know how to call for the maids-"  
"I said I'm not sick!" Zero's temper flared, his lilac eyes turning a stormy violet.  
"I'm perfectly fine!" He glared at the pureblood, annoyed, dizzy and now sporting a headache. Kaname had just looked at him for a moment, his face expressionless, before he headed for the door. Zero flung his comforter off himself, trying to stand, but failing as the world turned to swirls of colour. He tried to grab the nearest thing he could to cushion his fall when he felt the familiar qualities of gravity acting on his tired body, but what he grabbed was a shoulder.  
He felt Kaname's strong arms holding him up, gently placing him back on the bed.  
The silver-haired boy was too embarrassed to say anything. He didn't catch the slight look of concern on the brunet's face.

When the younger boy looked up, the Pureblood was again at the door, and left for his classes without a word, and Zero was left alone in the room, with Bird chirping happily in the background.

Zero closed his eyes for a bit, but the images from the night before crept into his mind, and he felt nauseous all over again. He tried his best to push away those thoughts – it was only a dream, _a dream_, he thought. It didn't really happen.

…Did it?

He hadn't heard from his family. From all he was told, Kaien Cross was his adoptive father, and Yuuki was his adoptive sister. His parents had died in a car crash. He hadn't questioned how he became a bloodsucker, the information was still too new for him to fully absorb -  
But what if they were telling him lies?

What if his parents didn't die in a car crash, and were indeed _murdered_ by a Vampire? A Vampire – the character he was living with now, the same breed of creatures that were walking freely within the walls of this campus. The same monster he had himself become.

…But how?

His head started to ache once more, and he cursed slightly before making his slow unsteady way to the medicine cabinet, only to find it _empty_, aside from a packet of vita- _blood pills_.  
Zero frowned, scowling a little, before making his way back to bed, annoyed and slightly hungry.

* * *

For the first time in a very, very, very long time, Kuran Kaname could not concentrate in class.

He couldn't stop thinking about the silver-haired boy in his room right now, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly why it was so. He continued to watch the lecturer busy himself with explaining human politics at the front of the room, but nothing was actually being processed in Kaname's brain.

What actually _was_ going through his brain was the memory of how small the boy had felt in his arms last night, how vulnerable he seemed; his sudden urge to want to _protect_ the boy, how nice his hair smelt, how warm his body was as they were pressed so close –

Kaname stopped his train of thought with a giant pair of scissors.

What in the world was he thinking?

He nearly lost his composure as he realized what his thoughts meant, and as it dawned on him, the colour drained from his face, and as calm as he tried to make himself look, he accidentally dropped the pencil in his hand.

_He was starting to…_

No, he couldn't allow that to happen.

But then again, maybe he was just feeling pity for the Level E?

….That's right. Pity. It had to be that.

* * *

Kaname returned to his room looking slightly ruffled, and he ignored the silver-haired boy who was currently glaring daggers into him.

"Kuran-"  
"Don't speak to me."

The younger boy had recoiled slightly in surprise at the clipped tone Kaname was using, before frowning and glaring some more.  
"What the hell crawled up your ass and died?"  
"That's none of your business, Kiryuu-kun."  
Zero's heart ached a little as the room fell silent once more, with Kaname changing swiftly into more comfortable clothing.

So this was it then – they were back to square one.

Zero really couldn't take a minute longer of this. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"When can I move out?"  
Kaname paused in his actions.  
Zero ran a tired hand through his hair, sighing.  
"When can I move out?" he asked again, but this time Kaname merely looked at him quietly.  
"Why do you ask?" Kaname's voice was a full degree colder than before.  
"I can't take anymore of this."  
Kaname nearly scoffed.  
"Anymore of _what_?"  
"_This_."  
Kaname didn't answer, but that quiet amber gaze spoke volumes.  
Kaname turned away and continued dressing.

"You can move out in another two weeks."

The room fell silent once more.

"What exactly am I to you, Kuran?"

Kaname sighed softly, his gaze now shifting over to the window where a slight breeze was creeping in. He didn't answer the boy until hours later, when he was sure that the ex-prefect had fallen asleep.

He was watching the lump under the comforter - the steady breathing, listening to the soft exhales of breath.  
"…You're an existence I can't seem to ignore."

* * *

Zero was watching Bird happily flit around its cage, occasionally becoming excited, flapping vigorously, dropping a feather or two. Bird loved the attention, bouncing from one side of the cage to the other, as if showing off to the silver haired boy.

"You seem a lot happier than I am at least." Zero chuckled, poking the cage a little, earning himself a few chirps and a ruffle of feathers.  
It was early evening; the faded blue was sinking to a darker shade as the minutes ticked by. Zero had woken early, but Kaname had woken _earlier_. A particular lecture had been cancelled, which was why Zero was sitting alone in his room, poking at Bird's cage absently, thinking about what was going on in his life.

He wanted to know the truth.

He wanted to know everything in his past. It _was _his past, he had _a right_ to it. So why wouldn't anyone tell him anything? Why were they lying? Why did they try to hide what kind of person he was before?

…_Who was he?_

He put a hand to his temples, massaging lightly, trying to ease the building headache.

He heard a knock on the door.

"Zero?"  
Zero looked to the door to find a blond head peeking in, followed by a hand full of papers.  
"I've got your notes."

The silver-haired boy moved over toward the now open door, his mind still heavy with thoughts about his former self.  
"Thanks Aidou."  
The blond seemed to note the expression on his face, because he frowned and leaned closer.  
"What's wrong with you?"  
The ex-prefect put on a fake smile and shook his head.  
"It's nothing, really. I'm just a bit distracted."  
Aidou shrugged, about to walk out the door when Zero's voice stopped him.

"Can you help me, Aidou?"  
The shorter boy turned, looking expectantly at the ex-prefect but not saying anything, with just a hint of playful boredom until he caught the look on Zero's face.

"…Who exactly am I, Aidou?"

There was a pregnant silence in the room, and both boys just continued staring at each other until Aidou looked away and sighed.

"Well, you're _you_, aren't you? Kiryuu Zero." Aidou was giving him a look, a slight frown on his handsome face. Zero shook his head.  
"You know that's not what I'm asking you."  
Aidou shrugged, staring at the carpet absently.  
"Aren't you thinking too much? Who you _were_ doesn't make you who you _are_, Zero. I answered your question. You asked me about who you _are_."

Zero's eyes met bright blue, and they continued staring at each other for a while, before the door clicked open.

"Aidou,"  
The Pureblood stood at the door, a small annoyed expression on his face.  
"K-Kaname-sama!" Aidou's whole body shot up straight, and he scurried to the door.  
"Forgive me for intruding into your room so unabashedly, I was merely speaking to Kiryuu-"  
"I can see that." Kaname stalked into the room, quietly, yet making the air around him prickle with tension.  
Zero just glared.

"Didn't manage to get the stick out of your ass, did you?"  
Kaname had turned to return the hostile gaze, but said nothing as Aidou made a choked noise at Zero's statement.  
"K-Kiryuu!"  
Bright blue darted from Zero to Kaname's back, and back to Zero in concern.

"Leave us, Aidou." Kaname's voice was icy, demanding immediate obedience.

The door clicked shut.

"Do you want to move in with Aidou?"

Zero's ears pricked at the suggestion.  
"Isn't he already sharing a room with Akatsuki?"  
"So you do." Kaname paused, eyeing the ex-hunter. "It can all be arranged."  
Zero couldn't understand why the pureblood was acting this way.

"Why...so suddenly?"  
"You wanted to move out of my quarters, did you not?"  
"Well, _yes_, but-"  
"Then you shall."

Zero's temper was starting to rise again.

"Are you _kicking me out_?"  
"I'd like the phrase '_asking you to leave_' much better."  
"Damn it, Kuran!"  
Kaname didn't answer, he didn't even look at the silver-haired boy. Zero wouldn't stand for it. He _wanted a reason_, and he was going to get it.

He walked up to Kaname and grabbed his arm, pulling him to face him, only to hand the hand he used to grab the pureblood captured in turn, before he was hauled into the older boy's arms, his chin forced upward so he was looking straight into the Dorm Leader's face.  
"_You want to know who you are_?"  
Kaname's voice was deep and sultry, yet laced with poison.  
Zero could feel the taller boy's hot breath on his face – how it was getting hotter as the distance between their faces closed.  
He felt the light brush of his lips against Kaname's.

"_You're an existence I can't seem to ignore._"

* * *

A/N: I'm terribly sorry I took so long to update! _ I had writer's block for a while, and I had to do some event planning and sew cosplay outfits and I've been all over the place. I hope the next update won't take as long (for all our sakes). D: Thank you so much for reading, and thank you for the reviews! I'm really honored that people like this story. I hope you forgive me for any mistakes I have made, or any inaccuracies or inconsistencies. I've been trying to keep them all as real as possible. So once again, thank you so much for reading! Drop a review please! _Father Complex_ may take a while more. I'm so sorry~


	5. Chapter 5

**Rewind 5**

"_You want to know who you are?"  
Kaname's voice was deep and sultry, yet laced with poison.  
Zero could feel the taller boy's hot breath on his face – how it was getting hotter as the distance between their faces closed.  
He felt the light brush of his lips against Kaname's._

"_You're an existence I can't seem to ignore."_

* * *

Zero was confused.

It felt so natural - the way the Kuran's fingers slipped down to hold his nape, the way his forehead felt against his, the way their noses brushed against each other's as the pureblood pulled him closer for another mind-numbing kiss.

It was inexplicable.  
Irrefutable.

He liked it.

It was clear that Kaname did too.

They needed no words in the exchange - it was as if the both of them had finally _surrendered_ to _something_, the same _something_ that brought them together in the first place.

Zero wasn't foolish enough to call it fate.

Kaname's other hand slipped to his collar bone, toying with the button on his shirt. They were panting softly now, and amber eyes stared straight into lilac, as if searching for _something_ - resistance, joy, anger - anything. But all they saw was a mixture of clouded violet and passive lilac.

The button was undone.

Hot hands trailed lightly over fair skin, exploring the expanse of Zero's chest, sliding down a flat stomach. Kaname's fingers hooked one of his belt loops, pulling slim hips closer. Teeth scraped lightly against the silver hoops on the younger boy's ears, eliciting delicious sounds from the silver-haired boy. Zero's mind was on auto-drive – the sensations Kaname was forcing on him made him dizzy and light-headed, and he found himself wanting to respond in turn; wanting _more_.

Zero pushed Kaname against the edge of the desk, nuzzling the older boy's neck, he gave the skin he found a long, languid lick, earning himself a gasp from the pureblood. Kaname's grip on his hips tightened, his body automatically tensing as if he was bracing himself for a bite; long fingers teasing the hem of the slightly smaller boy's pants.

Zero's eyes travelled away from Kaname's intense gaze, moving downward, taking in just how perfect the pureblood managed to look even in doubt and disarray, the amber eyes that stared back at him with so much emotion, the perfection of the older boy's facial structure, the long lashes, the wonderful way his hair framed his face - unaware that Kaname was doing the same. The older boy's hand was still on the back of his neck, warm and gentle, stroking a little, as if stroking a cat, the taller boy leaned in again, capturing the silver-haired boy's lips slowly, languidly, _cautiously_.

The fact that Zero was responding disturbed Kaname to no end.  
He had _lost_, lost to his latent desire for the slightly smaller boy, lost to his inner primitive instincts.

_Dominate, possess, protect._

His fingers were toying with the button on the front of the younger boy's pants.

He wanted to dominate Kiryuu Zero's world, he wanted to _own_ him, he wanted to protect him.

_No.  
_  
Kaname pushed Zero away.

The ex-prefect would have fallen to the floor if not for his reflexes; he straightened himself and glared at Kaname - who was now looking out the window, a dark contemplative look on his face.

"What the _hell_, Kuran."  
Kaname did not look at him.  
"_Nothing happened_."  
Zero felt a sliver of pain in his chest as the words sunk in. When he finally felt composed enough, he spoke.  
"Nothing." he repeated, the throbbing in his chest growing.  
"_Nothing_. Of course." the shorter boy started chuckling darkly, his eyes turning a dark, hollow violet.  
"There's never anything, is there?"  
Kaname listened to him in silence, his gaze trained on the tree branch outside.  
"Then again," the silver-haired boy continued, "there was hardly anything to start with."

At that Kaname turned his head, his eyes lingering on Zero's appearance - the tousled hair, the ruffled, unbuttoned shirt, the slightly bruised lips. He restrained himself.

They remained in silence for a while more, before Zero moved to grab his jacket and head to the door, and Kaname, who had hardly moved at all, was left to his own dark, complicated thoughts as the door clicked shut.

* * *

Kuran Kaname was in a fix.

He now knew that he _wanted_ the Kiryuu, but just because he did didn't mean that he would _have_ him.  
Kaname frowned as he let the pen nib touch the paper.  
Kiryuu Zero was always like this - screwing up his perfect plans. He already had Yuuki, Zero was redundent, extra, unneeded.

All Kaname had needed to do was _wait_.

His thoughts drifted to the small brunette, her pleasant smelling hair, pretty, delicate features, soft, plump lips, expressive lilac eyes…  
Kaname stopped himself immediately. Images of silver hair and fair skin surfaced in his mind, sharp yet gentle contours of a beautiful face.

There was a blotch of ink on the paper.

Kaname lifted the pen, sighing a little, his gaze travelling over to the two beds -one neat and made, the other creased and messy. It didn't take a genius like Kaname to see what symbolic meaning it had - the both of them were obviously polar opposites - there was no way they could get together. For one, they were both _male_: which honestly bothered Kaname very much as he was expected to produce an heir for his family. Two, they argued every moment they were in the same room. It would be such a tumultuous relationship it wouldn't be funny. Besides, the ex-hunter was merely a Level D, whereas Kuran Kaname was the Pureblood Prince…A _hunter_ and a _Vampire_; a _Pureblood_ to kick. It wasn't unheard of, but he would never hear the end of it from the council. Three, Kaname had already planned everything out, his taking Yuuki as a wife, his revenge - _everything_. Kiryuu Zero couldn't just waltz in and hijack everything he had carefully laid out.

Kaname paused again, this time in the action of crumpling the ruined piece of paper.

He was actually _considering_ taking Kiryuu Zero.

* * *

Kiryuu Zero was in a fix.

He didn't want to acknowledge that whatever happened back in the room was anything along the lines of _romantic_, he couldn't. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that his partner was the Kuran either. He couldn't believe that they had _almost_…

He didn't want to think about it.

He was now in the courtyard, walking in circles, trying to clear his mind.  
All he wanted to know was what the hell happened in his past! How did it come to this?

What was the Kuran _thinking_?

What was _he_ thinking?

The Kuran and himself could never be coupled - they were both _men_, and Zero was quite sure he was straight. Kaname obviously already loved Yuuki, so the Kuran being gay was also out of the question. Then came their differences in personality. They were different as night and day - Zero hot-tempered and easily impressed, Kaname calm, collected and demanding. It would be like a dog dating a cat, no moments of peace at all. Also, Kaname had emphasized that he was _royalty_, which meant he was of a different social class from Zero, which again made Zero doubt the credibility of the two of them...

...together.

Zero had stopped walking completely, frozen in mid-step.

But if the Kuran loved _Yuuki_, then why did the older boy kiss _him_?

He pulled the emergency break on his train of thoughts.

…He was actually _considering_ being with the Kuran.

The silver-haired boy looked up to the sky then, realizing that day was slowly breaking, a giant sigh escaped the ex-prefect's lips as he thought about how awkward it would be to go back to his room.  
_Maybe he shouldn't go back tonight. He could bunk with Aidou and Kain.  
_  
He unconsciously brought a finger to his lips, a flash of chocolate tresses and garnet eyes crossed his mind, and he immediately pulled his hand away, disturbed by his reactions to the whole _affair_, as well as by Kaname's.

What happened in the room was simply a_ mistake_.

* * *

Yuuki Cross sighed, a small wistful look on her face.

It had been a while since she last spoke to Zero, after his transfer to the Moon Dorms she hardly got to see him except during change over, which Sayori was helping her (somewhat) handle. The crowd at change over was overwhelming when Zero first lost his memories, but now it was somehow controllable for the two petit girls. However, Zero was ignoring her.

She frowned, twirling her pen nonchalantly, slouching a little.

She was always watching Zero during change over, hoping to make eye contact with him, but he never looked her way. He was always staring at the ground, ahead of him or talking with some of the other senpai. It annoyed her, and several times she just wanted to stalk over to him and pinch him just to get him to look at her. She felt like those 'regular' girls now, who Zero would just ignore. She used to be 'special'; she used to be '_Yuuki_'.

No, she wasn't sulking.

She just wasn't used to Zero treating her like a complete stranger.

They used to be so close - Yuuki and Zero, Zero and Yuuki. _He_ used to be the who was always looking at _her_. To suddenly lose that attention made her feel somewhat empty, as if there was something _missing_. She wanted him to look at her again. _Her and only her_. She wanted to be _important _in his life again.

She sighed again, louder this time, now shifting herself so she could lie on her table, her math homework now forgotten.

She wanted to talk to Zero, try and get close to him again. She refused to get used to being distant from the silver-haired boy; no, she felt that she had some kind of inexplicable _ownership _to business that regarded him, his problems were her problems and vice versa. It had always been that way. When Zero lost his memories she was so worried - Zero was always the strong one, the one that she counted on to save her, aside from...

...Kaname.

Now, she was sincerely happy that the both of them got along now, although bickering still happened from time to time, however, she felt quite _left out_, to tell the truth. Before Zero lost his memories, everything that happened between the two boys _concerned her_. But now, it was almost as if they didn't need her anymore, and it was hard to get used to.

She found she secretly enjoyed the attention the two showered upon her. She _liked_ the way they would fight over her, _liked_ the way Zero would try and 'protect' her from Kaname, and the way Kaname would do the same.

But now, aside from Kaname's usual gentle behaviour towards her, there was _nothing_.

And even Kaname was starting to act strangely. Today's change over saw the Dorm Leader just walking past her swiftly, as if something extremely troubling was on his mind. She was worried, but she hadn't found the time to speak to Kaname yet.  
She groaned in frustration, burying her face in the crook of her arm.

* * *

Zero found himself in front of Kain and Aidou's room half an hour later – he was tired and he wanted to shower. He stood there quietly, a small look of uncertainty on his face as he lifted his hand to knock.  
"Kiryuu-kun!"  
Zero whipped his head around to face the Vice Dorm President, who looked surprised but happy to see him.  
"Ichijou-san," he greeted, nodding slightly. He was wary of the vice-president, if only because he was close to Kaname. He regretted not knocking earlier.  
"Are you looking for Kain or Aidou?"  
Zero mentally sighed, but outwardly he had given the blond a wry smile, and shook his head.  
"It's nothing, I was just passing by, s'all."  
The blond nodded, but he had a glint in his eye that said that he didn't really believe the ex-hunter. In fact, the blond walked closer to Zero and lowered his voice.

"Did something happen between you and Kaname?"

Apparently it was no secret that something had upset the Pureblood, the people that passed the blond Noble and himself gave him dirty looks, and he glared at them in return. Zero finally met the blond noble's gaze, sighing a little. Ichijou smiled a little as he watched the younger boy's changing reactions. Zero couldn't exactly deny that nothing happened; he wasn't as good at playing the pretend game as Kaname. The fair-haired boy's face turned sour as he thought about the Kuran, completely forgetting Ichijou's existance to his right. Ichijou didn't mind – it simply meant that Kaname meant enough to trouble the boy, which was a good sign. Ichijou chuckled, startling the younger boy slightly. Zero caught himself, and brushed past the Vice-Dorm leader in the direction of the Common Rooms. He nodded to the blond, muttering a soft 'see you', he disappeared past the white laquered door frame.

Zero's footsteps on the carpet were heavy as he trudged to the Common Rooms, where he supposed he could spend the night.  
_It's better than spending the night with the Kuran-jerk, _he thought. He reached his destination, and settled himself comfortably on one of the lucious sofas, his head on the arm rest and back against the cushions, he crossed his arms and sighed, frowning.

How did he end up in this position? What he wanted was simple enough, he wanted to know what was his to know: was it that hard? Why was Kaname hiding his past from him? What was making Kaname so adamant about keeping mum? It was frustrating and confusing, and it made his blood boil.

* * *

There was a short knock on the door.

Kuran Kaname looked up from the piece of paper he had been staring at for the past half an hour, lowering it and letting out a curt 'come in', he placed the paper on top of the stack that still needed to be looked at with a small frown.

Takuma Ichijou peeked in, a small smile on his lips.

"Kaname, I just thought you should know," The blond watched the Kuran's reactions carefully.  
"Kiryuu-kun is planning to sleep in the Common Rooms tonight."  
Something flashed across the Pureblood's face, but Ichijou didn't know what it was. It seemed to be a mix of emotions; even after knowing the Pureblood Prince for almost all his life, Takuma didn't have the confidence to be able to read Kaname's responses.  
The brunet nodded, and whispered 'thank you' with barely concealed unhappiness, which amused the blond noble to an extent, after which the noble left.

Kaname didn't know what to think. Did the Kiryuu seriously think it was smart to sleep in the Common Rooms? What if the other nobles saw him? Kaname wouldn't be able to protect him from them if they knew he somehow offended the Pureblood enough to be upset enough to send him out of the room – it wasn't the case, but it certainly looked that way. Kaname was tempted to just let the boy fend for himself, but he still stood and made his way to the door, his expensive shoes making muffled thuds on the carpeted floor as he walked to the Common Rooms.

* * *

Zero was asleep – he barely registered someone calling his name, before that someone touched his shoulder. His automatic reflexes kicked in, and he reached under his 'pillow' to grab _something_, but when it wasn't there he sat up quickly and forced his eyes to focus on the figure to his side – chocolate tresses and wine red eyes were the first things that caught his attention, and his slowly became a scowl as he realized who it was.

"What do you want, Kuran?"  
The Pureblood didn't respond, he merely stood quietly and glared at the fair-haired boy.  
The ex-prefect didn't move; he crossed his arms and waited for the older boy to say something.

"I want you back in our room, Kiryuu-kun."  
Lilac eyes widened a fraction, but the fair haired boy didn't move from his comfortable position on the couch.  
"…Why?"

Kaname watched as the boy stood up, an unreadable expression on his face.  
"So you can pretend that nothing happened again?"  
Kaname almost flinched at the other boy's tone, but didn't reply. He seemed to be running something over in his mind, and when he was done doing that, he moved forward and grabbed the ex-hunter's arm, hauling him up effortlessly and pulling him in the direction of their room, Zero was struggling, pulling and pushing, his heels scraping against the carpet as he hissed at Kaname to let him go.  
"What the hell are you doing, Kuran?" The pureblood ignored him, and when they reached the door, it opened without the brunet touching it, and he wordlessly dragged a still-struggling Zero into the room.

When he let go, Zero was furious.

"Who the hell do you think you are, manhandling me like that?" Lilac eyes were cloudy with discontent, and the fair-haired boy was about to brush past the brunet to the door when his arm was caught again and he was pulled flush against the Pureblood's unrelenting body.

"You're staying here, Kiryuu-kun."  
Zero really didn't know how to react. First the jerk wanted him to go away, and now he wanted him to stay? He really couldn't comprehend whatever went through the pureblood's mind, and he hated it. He didn't understand why the older boy was behaving this way, and it was confusing him to no end. He was so tired of the Kuran's mood swings.  
"_Fuck you_, Kuran."  
The younger boy tried to shrug the pureblood off, but when the older boy didn't let go, he opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off by the painful feeling of the door knob against his back. The slightly taller boy had him pinned to the door, the knob digging into his back none too comfortably. He could feel the older boy's breath on his lips, and the fact that he didn't really mind it disturbed him a great deal.  
"Why are you doing this?"  
A fair hand was grabbing the front of his shirt, and Kaname didn't know how to respond. He wanted to kill the boy for being so distracting, but at the same time he wanted to claim those wonderful lips and dominate that stubborn character. He wanted to _own_ the boy, and the desire had never been stronger than when the latter defied him. Kiryuu Zero was confusing him so much it was annoying.

_Like now_.

Kaname couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips to the younger boy's, couldn't stop himself from touching the boy – slipping a hand under that untidy shirt and coming into contact with smooth, cool skin; his other hand keeping the struggling boy in place.  
"Kuran!" The ex-hunter growled, shoving at the pureblood in panic. He didn't want to go through this again.  
The brunet ignored him, his hand sliding further up to brush against the other boy's nipples, earning himself a hiss, a curse and more struggling. He would have chuckled if he wasn't so disturbed by what he was doing.  
Zero groaned as Kaname continued to touch him, and it irked him greatly that his body was actually enjoying the attention, arching slightly into Kaname, he tried to press himself further against the door in a futile attempt to _feel less_. The brunet didn't notice, the hand that was holding the boy in place now moved downward to brush against the boy's crotch, eliciting an angry and surprised hiss from the younger boy. A fair hand tried to stop his movements.  
"What do you think you're doing, Kuran!" Violet eyes flashing with anger and confusion. The Kuran shivered as the look sent a wave of excitement down his spine, and he pressed forward, his eyes obscured by the shadow cast by his fringe as he whispered into the hunter's ear.

"I'm _not_ thinking."

* * *

**A/N: Aha! I bet you thought I was going to finally make them go for it! Well, I _am_, but in the _next chapter_. I'm sorry I took so long to write this, but I've been up to the neck with assignments and projects. I thank you for your kind understanding and continued reading of this story, it really means a lot. Please drop a review if you have time.**

**All mistakes and indiscrepancies are my own, and I hope you kindly overlook them.**

**-Forbiddenist**


	6. Chapter 6

Rewind 6

A/N: Warning: Slight non-con, lemon ahead.

_"What do you think you're doing, Kuran!" Violet eyes flashing with anger and confusion. The Kuran shivered as the look sent a wave of excitement down his spine, and he pressed forward, his eyes obscured by the shadow cast by his fringe as he whispered into the hunter's ear._

_"I'm not thinking."_

* * *

His shirt was off in the next minute.

It was tossed rather carelessly to the side, while the pureblood's mouth attacked him mercilessly, wrenching soft whines and uncharacteristic mewls from the back of his throat.  
His brain couldn't process what exactly was going on as the brunet pinned him to the door, grinding against him. Zero couldn't help himself - he ground back. The friction between them was delicious, and Zero's brain went on auto-pilot despite his inner protests.

It had simply been too long since he'd been touched like this.

Zero hissed as a cool hand slipped past the waistline of his pants, stroking him relentlessly, encouraged by the soft sighs and whimpers that left his lips. The Kuran was panting slightly himself, unable to control his carnal desire to just _dominate_ the younger boy, he pulled the both of them away from the door and towards the beds.

Zero was pinned under the pureblood in seconds, the older boy's position not even giving him room to arrange himself more comfortably let alone _struggle_, he cursed as the brunet ripped his shirt open, an invisible force rendering his arms immobile.

"Let me go, Kuran!" the fair-haired boy was beyond angry, he was _livid_.

Cool hands gently trailed down his collar bone, chest and stomach to slide across his hip to cup his crotch.

"Where the hell are you touching!"

Zero gasped as Kaname pulled his pants off his hips, lifting his legs so that he could settle comfortably between them. His head went fuzzy as Kaname leaned forward for a demanding kiss, his tongue engaging in battle with Zero's own, pulling away only for air.

The same two hands now flipped the younger boy over so that he was on his stomach, his arm twisted behind him, the brunet hovering over him like a predator, elegant hand trailing down his back through his ripped shirt, following the curve of spine and backside.

Zero shuddered as hot kisses were pressed against his ear, and he swore when he felt those hands spread his legs. He tried to struggle against the hard body behind him, but only managed to earn an amused chuckle from the older boy.

"…Kuran!"

The hold on his arm was vice-like; it had almost cut off his blood circulation. The older boy shifted behind him, and soon Zero found three fingers in front of his face.

"Suck."

The way the older boy said it; it was as if Zero was supposed to comply with no qualms.

Zero turned his head away stubbornly, refusing to cooperate.

The pureblood sighed, bringing the fingers to his own lips and spreading a generous amount of saliva on them, immune to the wet sounds that seemed amplified in the otherwise silent room. He missed the blush that dusted the younger boy's cheeks.

"Try to relax, Kiryuu-kun."

Zero breath quickened almost immediately – he didn't know what was possessing the older boy to act as such. He couldn't see what the brunet was doing behind him, and when he felt a cool finger probe at his entrance his entire body tensed.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?"

Zero was panicking. He couldn't move, he couldn't _see_ what was happening, he was in a position of complete submission, and all this in front of Kuran-jerk, whose very presence made him extremely uncomfortable. Kaname seemed to revel in his obvious discomfort.

_The Bastard_.

The finger slid in soundlessly, the alien feeling forcing a strangled whine from the back of his throat; while hot breath finding its way to his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

"I'm_ going_ to _fuck_ _you_, Kiryuu-kun."

Zero's heart turned to lead.

_He wouldn't. _

…_He couldn't!_

"Let go of me, Kuran! I'm not some substitute for your little _prefect princess_!" Zero renewed in his struggles, trying to nudge the older boy off him and at the same time escape the strange sensation of the Pureblood's fingers.

Soft lips caressed his nape, and the pureblood pulled him further against him, a small smirk adorning his handsome face.

"Oh, trust me Kiryuu-kun." A hot tongue ran across the shell of his ear.

"…_You're no substitute_."

A second finger joined the first, and soon a third, scissoring him open, and Zero fought to keep himself silent.

What the hell was the Kuran thinking? How could he even think of doing something as atrocious as this? Didn't his affections lie with Yuuki? This was wrong and immoral and _unnatural_-

"Nnh…!"

Zero didn't know what the hell he just felt, but it was incredibly scary. He couldn't control his thoughts, his voice, his body – the Kuran was rendering him a complete mess of incoherency, and Zero was terrified.

The older boy paused at Zero's sudden muted outburst, and repeated his action, confirming that he had indeed found the boy's prostate, he removed his fingers languidly and positioned himself at the fair-haired boy's entrance, his grip never once loose on that lean arm, his other hand guiding the younger boy's hips, he pulled the slightly smaller frame closer to him, sliding in slowly.

"K…Kuran!"

It was a growl that was caught between a whine and anger, and Zero was answered with small kisses to the back of his neck and behind his ear, the slight panting of the pureblood distracting and strange.

He had_ never_ seen Kaname _exert himself_, yet he could feel the older boy's warmth, his quickened breath, his very _heartbeat_ in every movement.

But of course, all this was pushed to the back of his mind as the pureblood continued to press deeper.

"_Fuck, Kuran_!" The ex-prefect stopped himself from saying that it was hurting like a total bitch – he still refused to show weakness to the pureblood, instead concentrating on keeping his breathing steady and directing his thoughts away from the extreme discomfort.

When Kaname was fully inside the younger boy, he paused to allow them both to catch their breath. Zero's body was impossibly tense, almost painfully so; Kaname needed the boy to relax, moving the hand on his hip sliding lower to cup the younger boy's crotch, stroking slowly.

Zero shuddered, the onslaught of foreign sensation was too much for his brain, and he unconsciously relaxed, unintentionally shifting backward, pressing himself against the older boy in attempt to move away from the pleasure. The Pureblood hissed, immediately gripping the fair-haired boy's hip to stop him from moving unnecessarily.

Neither of them said a word as the brunet started moving, thrusting slowly as first, watching the younger boy's face quietly from the corner of his eye, almost cautiously, for _something_, anything, really.

He wasn't disappointed.

Zero was lost in the novelty of feeling. It was so intense, his head was swimming with every movement from the Kuran. The possibility of losing consciousness surfaced at the back of his hazy mind, and he unconsciously gripped the sheets with his free hand in attempt to anchor himself. He was having trouble breathing.

"It's…too deep."

The fair-haired boy's cheeks burned as he uttered those words, trying to shift away from the Kuran, who did not give way. The older boy leaned forward, so his chest was touching the ex-prefect's back, his tongue drawing a wet line from the boy's ear to his nape, his fangs scraping lightly at the milky skin.

"Take it out!"

Kaname was surprised; he hadn't expected the Kiryuu's voice or the little sounds he made to be able to sound so _erotic_ – it made his heart quicken, and he didn't like it.

Zero whined as Kaname thrust in particularly roughly, burying his face in the crumpled sheets beneath him, in attempt to muffle his cries. It was so strange – the overwhelming pleasure was short-circuiting his brain – he couldn't form a proper sentence anymore; Kuran was driving him crazy.

"Slower, please….Slower!" Zero hissed, trying to reorganize his thoughts. All he could do was feel, and it felt so good it terrified him.

Kaname reluctantly complied, sighing as Zero clenched around him, his body tensing up again as he panicked.

The Pureblood growled softly, leaning forward once more, pressing butterfly kisses on the younger boy's shoulders, releasing the captive arm; he embraced the slightly smaller frame in mock affection. He slowed his hips with all his willpower.

"_Relax for me_."

The words spoken were soft and kind, and Zero found himself complying in his state of confusion.

Kaname's teeth pulled playfully at the ex-prefect's silver ear cuffs.

"Don't be afraid, just _feel_."

Zero cried out as Kaname regained his pace, placing an arm next to the fair-haired boy's head to support himself as his thrusts increased in power, reveling in the soft whines he drew from the boy's throat as he did so, his other hand supporting the Kiryuu's flat tummy, purring as he felt himself teeter closer to the edge. Zero had started to meet his thrusts, but the brunet didn't notice – he was too busy trying to keep himself from ejaculating prematurely; which he found ridiculous, because he never had such a problem before. The hand supporting the younger boy now slid down to stroke the ex-prefect's neglected erection, forcing a sharp intake of breath from the Kiryuu, which the Kuran found extremely arousing.

Kaname didn't want to admit it, but Zero was one of the best lays he'd had to date.

His lips found that lean nape, and he unconsciously latched to it, sucking and nipping at the skin, rough enough to bruise but not hard enough to break skin. His fangs scraped at the now-tender skin: it was sickeningly tempting to just sink in his fangs –

"-ran!"

Zero let out a muffled cry as he came, his entrance clenching around Kaname, his entire body shuddering from the sensation. Kaname hissed, pressing forward twice more, losing himself in the intense heat that was milking him of his essence, he unconsciously bit into the fair neck in front of him; a burst of flavor met his parched tongue - the boy's blood tasted like fine wine - and before he knew it, he was drunk on afterglow and blood lust; pressing the Kiryuu down against the bed, ignoring the muffled curse and dodging an elbow, he continued to lap lightly at the fresh wound, purring contentedly.

But that was before Zero regained his senses.

_Thwack!_

Kuran Kaname held his stinging cheek in slight shock.

"What the _fuck_, Kuran! I told you to stop! Don't you ever _listen_ to people when they're talking? And why the fuck did you bite me? I'll fucking _kill you_!"

Kaname managed to dodge the next punch that the younger boy sent in his direction, grabbing his arm and pulling so that the ex-prefect landed none too gracefully on his lap. Zero looked like he was about say something, when the pureblood simply pressed their lips together, effectively cutting off the Kiryuu.

He pulled away only when the younger boy stilled, but only a little, so their faces were still centimeters away from each other.

"…_No on_e slaps me."

There was no malice in the words; he was merely stating a fact. He raised a fine eyebrow when he heard Zero chuckle darkly.

"_I_ just did."

A small smirk graced the Pureblood's face, and he brought the hand that was still in his grasp to his lips, tongue flicking out to taste a fair finger-tip, swirling around the tip before taking the digit into his mouth.

Zero's face was bright red.

* * *

Zero was in denial.

He didn't want to accept the fact that he had just slept with a man, much less Kuran-jerk.  
He never thought he would ever be in such a position - in the strong arms of another male, after an entire night of going at it like rabbits.

His face burned red at the thought.  
He buried his face into the pillow in shame, and even such a slight movement caused the brunet beside him to stir.

Dark lashes fluttered open, and Zero's breath caught. It was the first time he actually had a good look at the pureblood at such a close proximity. They were almost nose to nose, and the pureblood looked absolutely stunning, even in his half-awake stupor. Zero felt his cheeks heat up as he unintentionally recalled the events from the night before.

The Kiryuu couldn't tear his eyes away from those slightly parted lips, and he was close enough to be able to feel the other boy's breath.

…_those lips…were on his…._

Zero immediately turned away from the other boy, his face burning. Kaname was in the middle of leaning in to steal the fair-haired boy's lips, but settled for pulling the boy against him so that his chest was against the slightly smaller boy's back, his lips by his ear. His arms snaked around a slim waist and hip, pressing them flush against each other, his leg sliding slyly in between the Kiryuu's, ignoring the shudder of discomfort from the younger boy.

Elegant fingers brushed aside the silver strands that fell messily over the back of the ex-prefect's neck, and Kaname couldn't help but lap at the still raw bite from the night before, a deep purr rumbling from his throat. Zero was fighting all the warning bells that were ringing in his head – what they had done was wrong!

Kaname didn't love him.

Zero didn't…

…did he?

Zero pushed the brunet away, sitting up abruptly.

"I…" he began, refusing to look at Kaname, who was leaning on an elbow in slight displeasure, waiting for him to continue.

"…I have to go." The fair-haired boy stood, walking about to gather his clothing and trying to ignore the sticky mess that ran down his legs, he put on his clothes, and immediately stalked out to door, deaf to Kaname's repetitions of his name.

* * *

He found himself outside Kain and Aidou's room.

"…to the library." The door opened unexpectedly, and Aidou stood there with his mouth half open in surprise.

Kain had followed suit half a second later, wondering why his cousin was standing at the door like a statue, and when he saw the Kiryuu at their door way trembling with his clothes in a mess, his hair disheveled and a face that was on the verge of tears, he shoved his cousin to the side and ushered the boy in.

They made him take a shower, Kain lending him a set of his clothes to change into while they sent his own to the wash.

The three of them sat in the room in silence.

"…So what happened?"

Kain cursed – trust Hanabusa to break the fragile moment of comfort between the three of them!

"…I'm sure Kiryuu needs some time to gather himself, Hanabusa."

Zero tensed, his hands clasped together, tell-tale of his nervous state of mind, when he let out a huge sigh and leaned back against his chair.

"…I think I'm going mad."

Aidou was the first to break the silence once more.

"…Why?"

At times like this, Kain didn't know whether he was grateful to his cousin or whether he wanted to throw him out a window because of his insensitivity.

Kain's gaze travelled to Zero, who looked as if he was seriously going to try to answer.

"What does it feel like to have unrequited love?"

The two cousins froze for a moment, sharing a look before regarding Zero in slight disbelief.

"You're _in love_, Kiryuu?"

The fair-haired boy's cheeks flamed and he turned away from them, huffing a little.

"I-I never said anything like that!"

Aidou added two and two together.

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?"

Both Kain and Zero were stunned by the sudden outburst, and Zero frowned when Aidou grabbed his collar and yanked.

"Y-Y-Y-You and K-Kaname-s-sama!"

Zero winced as Aidou pulled the collar a little too hard, brushing against the wound on his nape, threatening to re-open it.

"A-Aidou!" Zero brushed the Noble vampire off, gently rubbing at his wound in attempt to sooth the dull pain.

Why the hell was it taking so long to heal?

Kain remained silent, observing the two. The Pureblood Prince took blood from this Level D? The more Kain thought about it, the more improbable it seemed, yet maybe if it was Kiryuu Zero, Kain could see it being possible.

The fair-haired boy was unpredictable, even before he lost his memories. He made people do things that they wouldn't normally do, and somehow Kain could see a strange yet plausible relationship budding between his Prince and this boy. Aidou was in shock.

The nobles had to _coax_ their Prince into taking blood from them, yet this _Level D_ managed to get Kaname-sama to drink from him without even _suggesting it_? It was unheard of! Atrocious! Annoying! Yet frustratingly believable.

That day Zero didn't return to his room, but instead slept on the floor in Kain and Aidou's room, despite Aidou's protests. He wasn't particularly looking forward to class later in the evening, but he had skipped enough, and decided that seeing the Pureblood couldn't be so terrible.

Or so he thought.

All eyes were on him when he entered the classroom.

His whole body tensed, and he made his way to his seat mechanically, trying to ignore the obvious glares and looks of confusion. He couldn't figure out what was going on. Why were they looking at him like that?

Kaname, who was seated at the back of the class, had his gaze trained on him like a hawk, which confused him to no end. He took a few deep breaths, before taking out his notepad and pen, determinedly facing forward.

He was tempted to ignore the familiar presence that now stood at his side.

"…You smell like _Akatsuki_." The pureblood's voice was bordering on venomous.

Zero didn't understand his displeasure.

"These _are _his clothes, Kuran."

At that sentence, the tension in the room multiplied by ten, and the brunet grabbed the ex-prefect's wrist, hauling him out of the classroom and into the hallway, ignoring the younger boy's curses and protests and the rest of the class that had just watched this little episode in stunned and fearful silence.

The Pureblood had led them into an empty classroom, and after pulling Zero inside, he promptly locked the door with his powers, rather focusing on trapping the fair-haired boy between a wall and himself.

Zero glared at him, his lilac eyes turning an angry violet.

"What is _your problem_?"

Kaname rolled his eyes, pressing closer to the slightly shorter boy, as if asserting his dominance.

"_You're mine_."

The hot breath at his ear sent shivers down his spine, and the words took a while to register, but when they did, Zero had scoffed.

"I don't remember ever becoming _your property_, so if you'll excuse me-"

Kaname slammed the younger boy against the wall again, crushing their lips together as the back of Zero's head hit the wall, his hands clutching the ex-prefect's to prevent him from struggling. But Zero managed to break away this time, punching the brunet squarely across the jaw.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

"You insensitive bastard!"

Zero didn't know what possessed him to grab the older boy's collar and pull him in for a messy kiss, and everything had somewhat spiraled out of control once more, as wandering hands started to slide across fabric and under it, caressing heated skin.

It was gloriously sinful.

* * *

"Why are we doing this?"

Kaname was buttoning up his jacket, brushing off invisible lint on his shoulder.

Zero was huddled on the teacher's desk, his half-ripped shirt draped around his shoulders. He mentally made a note to buy Kain a new shirt.

"Why?"

Amber eyes regarded the fair figure on the desk.

"Because it's mutually satisfying."

Zero didn't understand why his heart sank when those words left Kaname's lips, but he remained silent.

Kaname was halfway to the door when Zero's quiet voice stopped him again.

"…What about Yuuki? Why don't you just take her?"

Kaname whirled around so fast that Zero hardly caught the action. Those eyes burned with silent anger, and Zero found his heart quickening slightly.

"Yuuki is too precious to me, fool."

Zero's temper snapped.

"Then I _am_ a fucking _substitute_."

_Deny it, you bastard_.

His heart was aching, inexplicably so, and the throbbing made his stomach churn and his legs weak.

Kaname looked away, out of the window, silent.

Zero nodded slowly, pushing himself off the desk and throwing the used tissues into the bin, he arranged his clothing, not meeting Kaname's gaze, he paused at the door.

"You're a fucking greedy bastard, Kuran."

The door was left open, and silence enveloped the brunet who stood alone in the classroom.

* * *

Zero had packed his belongings, and prepared to move into his room – it would be ready in two days. He had left Kaname's room the day before, imposing on Aidou and Kain instead, amazed that they so willingly allowed him to squat with them even though their leader had specifically told them not to go near Zero. In fact, Zero was surprised Kaname let him stay with them.

He couldn't stay with the Pureblood any longer – he couldn't take the annoying throbbing in his heart every time he even _thought_ about Kuran-jerk , so he had left.

He could understand that the Pureblood didn't love him, he could understand if he had slept with him for mutual benefit, but he didn't ever want to be _anyone_'s substitute. It was insulting, and he hated it. He hated Yuuki, he hated himself, and more than anything, he hated Kuran-jerk. He didn't even have the heart to look for his past with all this shit Kuran was stirring up.

The day to move into his own room came sooner than he expected, and he was busy unpacking when he heard a familiar voice at the door.

"Zero? How do you like your room?"

Zero turned to face the petite brunette with the annoyingly sweet voice, and he was tempted to just ignore her and continue unpacking, until he heard the second voice that followed.

"_I'm sure Kiryuu-kun is busy unpacking, Yuuki._"

Zero froze, but he forced himself to continue working, pretending not to hear that wonderful voice.

"Thank you for arranging this for him, Kaname-senpai!" The girl bowed, and Kaname had smiled and ruffled her hair.

…it was a smile that Zero had never seen before.

He felt sick.

If they were going to be so lovey dovey then they should get a room!

He dropped the item he was unpacking, standing and brushing past them out of the door, muttering something along the lines of 'bathroom' and ignoring the look of surprise on both their faces, he broke into a sprint once he reached the main hallway.

He found himself in front of the fountain again, the sound of the running water doing wonders for his nerves. It was relaxing, natural, ….right.

"…Do you come here when you're upset?"

Zero glared at the brunet from the corner of his eye.

"What do you want?"

Kaname did not reply, but merely seated himself beside Zero.

"Why are you upset?"

Zero heart clenched, but he let out a forced laugh.

"I'm not upset. Why would I be?"

Kaname didn't need to look at him to tell that he was lying. He didn't push it though.

The two of them sat in relative silence, before Kaname spoke.

"Yuuki's worried about you."

Zero's body tensed, and he started to laugh, a laugh that was strained and unnatural.

_Of course. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Yuuki_.

Zero stood up, brushing off Kaname's amber gaze, making his way leisurely back to the dormitory, not checking whether Kaname was following or not.

When Zero stopped, Kaname stopped too.

"…_Don't say her name in front of me_."

Kaname's eyes widened in surprise, unsure whether he heard right; unable to function even when Zero turned to flash him a smile.

"I'm heading back first. You should spend more time with her."

Zero's heart felt like it was going to drop out of his chest as he walked away from the brunet.

A hand on his wrist stopped him from moving forward.

Zero whirled around, growling, about to curse, but he found himself enveloped by strong arms, a large hand pressing his head against a firm chest.

"W-what?"

"I don't know."

Kaname was confused. Hell, he had never been such a wreck in his whole life. He didn't know why he felt he needed to hold the boy, he didn't understand his sudden concern, why his eyes kept following the ex-prefect. He didn't understand why his heart ached when he made those faces – faces he hid his weaknesses behind.

Zero smelt nice, his body was warm, and somehow, their bodies fit surprisingly well together. It was a comfortable embrace, an embrace that Kaname found he enjoyed greatly. He knew he shouldn't indulge in something as fruitless as this but he couldn't help himself –

Then he felt a hand against his chest.

Lilac eyes were trained to the ground as the Kiryuu stepped away from the Kuran.

"Save it, Kuran."

The sound of running water was deafening.

"Save it for your precious princess."

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry I took so long to write this! Writing H scenes aren't as easy as they make it out to be. ***SHOT* **Once again, I thank you all for staying with this story this far, and I hope I haven't killed your interest by all this beating around the bush, angst and drama. Please drop me a review if you're free!


	7. Chapter 7

Rewind 7.

_Zero smelt nice, his body was warm, and somehow, their bodies fit surprisingly well together. It was a comfortable embrace, an embrace that Kaname found he enjoyed greatly. He knew he shouldn't indulge in something as fruitless as this but he couldn't help himself – _

_Then he felt a hand against his chest._

_Lilac eyes were trained to the ground as the Kiryuu stepped away from the Kuran._

"_Save it, Kuran." _

_The sound of running water was deafening._

"_Save it for your precious princess."_

* * *

Zero was adapting to life in his new room, he felt so much more at peace than when he was rooming with Kuran-jerk. Apparently, because of his attitude and his 'former self', it wasn't yet wise to assign him a roommate; a fact that Zero was thankful for. He had a vague feeling of how moving out felt to lovers who had just broken up, although the relationship between Kuran-jerk and himself was nothing near that classification.

He had allowed Kuran-jerk to keep Birdie, although he'd have liked to keep it himself, he really didn't want to speak to the Kuran more than necessary. For the past three days, Zero made sure that he was never alone with the Dorm Leader – he had practically made Aidou and Kain his personal bodyguards when it came to Kuran-jerk. Both vampires seemed a bit reluctant at first, not wanting to go against their leader's wishes if they could help it, but Kaname seemed perfectly content to have Aidou and Kain hanging around the ex-prefect, much to the surprise of the rest of the night class, in fact, he quite encouraged it. Zero had a feeling it had something to do with helping him 'blend in' with the rest of the class, to build some form of acceptance. It _was_, after all, what he promised Yuuki. Aidou protested at first, complaining about destroyed schedules and all that, but eventually grew used to his company. Zero found himself particularly fond of the blond. Kain hadn't really said much, but Zero found the taller boy's companionship a more comfortable and less noisy version of Aidou's, which was pleasant nonetheless.

Kuran-jerk had avoided him for the whole of the three days. He still went to class and all that, but the both of them didn't speak, they didn't even look in each other's directions. This resulted in tense atmospheres for almost every class that the both of them shared; classes had never been quieter because of it.

In fact, the atmosphere was tense enough to have Souen Ruka (who, he had established, hated his guts) come up to him and demand he did something about the way things were.

This was of course, in class, with Kuran Kaname in full view, and although Zero wasn't looking in Kaname's direction, he could feel that familiar piercing gaze on him.

"I'm not the one avoiding anyone, Souen-san." The fair-haired boy kept his tone polite, a small smile on his lips. He picked up his belongings and left the room without another word, leaving behind a stunned Ruka. Kaname didn't move a muscle, merely continuing his conversation with Takuma. The blond gladly kept talking, but he could recognize the signs he had been trained to detect – Kaname was annoyed, but he couldn't place why.

Aidou had flashed him a look before he left behind the ex-prefect, and Takuma made a mental note to drop by Aidou's room to find out exactly what was going on.

* * *

"…Come again?"

Two blonds were huddled in a corner of the common room, talking in (somewhat) hushed voices. The taller had a look of complete disbelief on his fine features.

"You heard me right, Ichijou-san!"

Aidou could hardly believe it himself, but the hard facts spoke for themselves; despite how hard he tried to disbelieve what he had theorized.

The sudden sparkle in Ichijou Takuma's eyes sent a shiver down Aidou's spine.

"Zero's in love with Kaname-sama! And the night we caught a whiff of Zero's blood was Kaname-sama's doing!"

Ichijou's shocked face was slowly morphing into one of interest.

"But it looks like they hate each other!"

"Something must have happened that Zero hasn't told me about."

"Kiryuu-san is confiding in you?"

A small blush dusted the genius' cheeks.

"…Well, it's not like he has anyone else to talk to!"

The vice dorm leader nodded in agreement, a thousand and one things running through his brain. The two fell silent once more, Ichijou thinking and Aidou watching his every twitch.

"So that's why Kaname's fuse is so short these days!" The taller blond looked finally enlightened, while Aidou continued to stare in slight confusion and awe.

"…Kaname-sama's being affected by this too?"

Both blonds paused to think for a moment; it was certainly strange that Kuran Kaname got worked up over anything aside from that Cross girl, which probably meant…

The genius sighed, shaking his head slowly.

"It has to be it."

"You mean…?"

Aidou nodded solemnly, and they both shared a look that said they had reached an agreement.

Yes, they were, as ridiculous as it sounded, going to try and get the ex-prefect and their dorm leader…_together_.

At the rate things were going, Kaname's fuse was only going to get shorter, which did not bode well for any of the night class students, and Kiryuu would probably lapse into his streak of violence in retaliation. It was only a matter of time before the two of them clashed _directly_ and annihilated each other, and whatever semblance of peace that they were enjoying right now. Any confrontation of that level would probably leave the whole school in shambles, both literally and figuratively.

It was up to them to prevent _that_ from happening at all costs.

* * *

Aidou had managed to catch Zero outside the common room after classes.

He had a feeling Akatsuki knew what he was up to, and Akatsuki being Akatsuki, was being supportive in his own reluctant way by keeping quiet and minding his own business.

"Zero! I need to head to town; would you like to …accompany me?" It took him a while to search for the right word, but he supposed 'accompany' would suffice for now.

"...That's rare. Why're you asking me? I'm sure Kain's willing to go."

"He can't!"

Both the red-head and the ex-prefect looked surprised at his sudden overly loud outburst, and Aidou panicked as he searched his brain for a good reason to get his target to submit.

"Akatsuki can't! He…He has an errand to run for Kaname-sama!"

Akatsuki snorted, and walked in the direction of the library, leaving the short blond with the fair-haired boy. Zero however, looked slightly reluctant.

"Why do you suddenly want to go to town?"

The short blond started to get flustered again; he didn't think that the ex-prefect would _question_ him about his intentions! He frantically made up some excuse of wanting to visit a bookstore that had recently opened.

Zero raised an elegant eyebrow, but nodded slowly.

"Sure, I'll tag along."

* * *

Takuma found Kaname alone in his room, diligently tackling his paperwork, and it took nigh two minutes for Kaname to look up from his writing.

"Would you like to go to town, Kaname?"

The sound of scribbling continued, and Kaname didn't answer until he finished the sentence he was writing.

"Why so suddenly?"

Takuma chuckled stiffly, searching his brain for a reason.

"I have an errand to run for my grandfather, and I need to drop by the book store! I was just wondering if you'd like to take a walk in town with me."

Kaname raised an elegant eyebrow, but nodded slowly.

"I don't mind going with you."

* * *

By the time they reached town it was late evening; they didn't have class on Sundays, and a walk in town didn't seem like a bad idea to Zero. It was a good break from the drama in school and his search for his past. He greatly enjoyed the night breeze that blew his way, coupled with the fact that Aidou was being more companionable than usual without Kain around, Zero found that he was actually enjoying himself. They were almost at the bookshop when Aidou received a call and told him to 'go walk around while I settle my business'. Zero had gladly complied, pleasantly noting that there was a flea market in the town square. He wandered about the stores, stopping here and there to get a better look at the wares offered.

Then he saw it – a metal bracelet with a tag at the end of it, engraved with a rose.

It appealed to him almost immediately, and he was in the middle of reaching to grab it when his hand bumped into that of another individual's.

"Kiryuu-kun?"

The voice he dreaded to hear was right beside him.

Zero had gathered himself and stepped a polite distance away from the Pureblood, not hiding his displeasure, he acknowledged the pureblood. He wondered for a moment why he didn't notice the taller boy, but remembered Aidou telling him something about purebloods being able to mask their presences.

"Kuran…what are you doing here?"

The brunet had put on his 'social' mask; a smile that never reached his eyes.

"I'm accompanying Ichijou on an errand. What about yourself?"

Zero shrugged, turning back to the bracelet, looking _everywhere_ except at the older boy's face.

"I'm taking a walk in town with Aidou. He needed to drop by the book store for a bit."

Kaname looked pensive then.

"…the bookstore?"

The pureblood shook it off, his eyes trained on the younger boy, he gestured to the bracelet.

"Are you getting that?"

Zero snorted, turning away to look at the lamppost.

"You can have it, I don't want it anymore."

Kaname watched him in silence.

It had been a while since he had been so close to the younger boy. Every feature on that beautiful face, every sway of each strand of silver perfection that the breeze combed through, every graceful movement of those long, wonderfully sculpted limbs – it all seemed to familiar yet alien at the same time. He had never seen Kiryuu Zero like this before.

To Kuran Kaname, Kiryuu Zero had always been no more than a chess piece, a knight for his queen, an irritating but necessary existence. The fact that the Hunter was aesthetically pleasing had never occurred to him before he lost his memories; it was something that didn't concern him.

Yet now, he caught himself staring more often than not, he found himself wishing that the ex-prefect would be waiting for him in his room when he got back from meetings, remembering the times when he had that slim body in his arms.

"…What are you staring at?"

Zero was looking at him incredulously, and when he didn't answer, the younger boy didn't push the matter further and turned, muttering a soft "seeya" and heading toward the bookstore.

A hand on his wrist stopped him from going any further.

Zero froze, before letting out an annoyed sigh, turning to face the brunet, ready to engage in an emotionally straining exchange, but when he saw the Pureblood's face, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

That normally cool gaze was scarily intense, that handsome face reflecting an emotion that Zero couldn't place.

"K…Kuran?"

"Come with me."

* * *

He was dragged into a dark alleyway, shoved against a wall almost brutally, and he was recovering from the pain and in the middle of a curse when his lips were caught by a pair of insistent ones in a violent kiss.

The alarm bells in Zero's mind immediately went off, and he shoved at the brunet, struggling to break free.

"Let go of me, Kuran!"

He managed to push the older boy off him before those annoying familiar hands took his jacket off. The Pureblood looked angry, regretful and annoyed at the same time. But this time, Zero wouldn't give in to him.

"I'm sick of this, Kuran!" His voice sounded twice as loud in his ears as he continued speaking, grating out the words.

"I'm _sick_ of being your _stress outlet_! I'm _tired _of being something you only care about out of obligation and I've _had enough of being a fucking substitute for a woman_!" He didn't understand why, but his chest clenched and it was aching so badly he thought he was going to collapse. But the anger that was building up in him was overwhelming his senses. The brunet had froze in his actions, an expression of pure confusion and surprise on his fine features.

_Why can't you see me?_

"Go fuck a whore, you bastard."

_Why can't you see me for myself? _

…was it because he _wasn't _himself?

He wasn't '_Kiryuu Zero_', he wasn't even half of him. '_Kiryuu Zero_' lost his memories, and he was the result. The fair-haired boy didn't wait for the brunet to respond, simply turning around and breaking out into a run; he didn't care where, he just needed to get away from that person, to get away from the memory of '_Kiryuu Zero_'.

….Who was he?

_Who was Kiryuu Zero?_

Zero's head hurt, and he felt the urge to shout and shoot something, but his thoughts kept assaulting him, wounding his pride –

Kaname seemed to be struggling internally as well, the expression on his face made Zero feel even worse than he did already, and he hated it.

But it was what left the brunet's mouth that made him want to go mad. He wanted to get away from this terrifying person that was making feel emotions that he had never wanted to feel.

"I can't understand it myself – why can't I stop touching you?"

Zero didn't know how to react, he didn't know what to say. He simply stared at the older boy's face in utter and complete disbelief.

_He couldn't…what?_

The brunet's forehead was against his shoulder, and he was still talking.

"Why can't I leave you alone?"

The grip the older boy had on his arms was bordering on painful.

"Why can't I just _kill _you?"

Zero shoved the brunet away from him, lilac eyes wide in accusing anger, but the grip the older boy had on him didn't release.

"I don't want to see your face right now, damn it!" Zero continued to struggle, more in fury than anything else, desperate to escape from this hateful predicament, to escape from this insensitive, selfish man.

Kaname didn't reply.

The ex-prefect's hands were shaking so badly, his entire body felt like lead as the Kuran pushed him further against the wall in attempt to gain better leverage and hold on him. The pureblood refused to let him escape. The younger boy resorted to pulling at the other's clothes, yelling curses into his ear, before slowly dying down to muffled sobs and weak pushes.

"_Why the fuck are you doing this to me_?"

Kaname didn't want to register the pain in his chest as he heard the utter despair in the fair-haired boy's tone.

They were both so terribly confused. What were they feeling? What were they _doing_? They were in a dirty, cold alleyway _holding_ _on to each other for dear life_ as they tried to sort out what was going on.

It was so poetic, yet foolish at the same time. Kaname didn't know what to think as Zero leaned against his shoulder. He could tell the younger boy was tired. They both were.

And it was in that moment that Kaname could no longer deny it.

He loved Kiryuu Zero.

It was a revelation that wasn't supposed to surprise him, and yet there he stood, in complete disbelief that such a day would come. He wanted the hunter. He _ached_ for the boy. He wanted to protect him, to shower him with affection, to make him look at _only him_. It was a phenomenon that he had never encountered, he could never explain. It made absolutely no sense. He had only ever felt this way for one other person.

He could tell from the younger boy's actions that the feeling was mutual, but then the doubts form in the back of his brilliant mind once more.

He was Kuran Kaname.

…He_ loved _Kiryuu Zero.

The sheer impossibility of the two concepts merging into one scared him. The sheer height of the consequences that they would face if they ever committed to a relationship was titanic. The council would never hear of it. The association would never allow it. The risk was monumental.

…But at that point in time, Kaname didn't care.

"Kiryuu-kun," he began, so afraid he didn't dare move a muscle.

The fair-haired boy didn't answer, but Kaname knew he was listening.

"I think…"

"_Kaname-sama!_"

Both boys tensed, but neither felt the inclined to step away from each other until the two blonds came into view. Kaname refused to let the slightly smaller boy go, and Zero felt inexplicably safe wrapped in the brunet's arms. Kaname had mentally screamed in frustration at the interruption, but turned and greeted both nobles.

"Kaname-sama, are you alright?"

"Kiryuu-kun, did something happen?"

Zero was leaning against the wall, looking ruffled and disinterested, knee propped up and hands in his pockets.

Watching the unhappy pureblood and pissed off ex-hunter out of the corner of his eye, Aidou was positive they had messed up somewhere and gotten them to hate each other's guts instead of making up. Takuma and him had heard the both of them shouting at each other, and had immediately rushed to where they were, praying hard that they hadn't killed each other yet. But with the glares that Kaname was shooting him from behind that smile was making him regret even trying in the first place.

"What are you doing here, Aidou?"

The shorter blond jumped, not daring to look his leader in the eye.

"I ran into him at the bookstore, Kaname. He told me that Kiryuu-kun came with him, and then we heard you shouting at each other, so we rushed over."

Aidou was thankful for Ichijou's save, nodding profusely in agreement.

Kaname's displeasure was still evident, but he pushed it aside, suggesting that they all head back together, and propositioned for Zero to drop by his room later that night.

Zero on the other hand, looked absolutely wretched, and had told the brunet to go get that stick out his ass before telling him what to do, stalking off alone and ignoring Aidou and Ichijou's repetitions of his name.

* * *

_It was dark. _

_He felt horrible. He was clutching as his sides in pain. _

_He felt like he was going mad._

_The thirst at the back of his throat was burning, it made his entire body shake with an insatiable need. _

_His vision was blurry, and he could barely move from the searing pain. He was reaching for something on the bedside table, blindly feeling for it almost desperately, and when he finally got a hold of it he brought it closer to his face. _

_A box of blood tablets. _

_He gathered a few of the despicable things on his palm, with a little difficulty because his hands were shaking so much, guiding the tablets to his mouth he tried to stomach them dry, and the way they went down his throat made him want to claw out his gullet. When they finally entered his system his whole body tensed, and he moved, as if guided by some inexplicable force, immediately to the bathroom to hold on to the edge of the porcelain sink for dear life as he vomited his guts out. He was shaking uncontrollably. _

_He was _terrified_._

_He didn't dare look into the mirror, he didn't want to see just how much of a monster he had become. He didn't want to be reminded that he had become the very thing that took away his family, the breed of damned creatures that had taken away _everything_. _

_He didn't want to see the glowing red irises in the mirror and be reminded of that night. _

_He didn't want to become one of them._

_His body was shutting down slowly. _

_Desperate, he brought his own wrist to his mouth, making a small gash, hissing softly as the scent of fresh blood hit his nostrils. _

_He was despicable._

_He brought his wrist to his parched lips, letting his own blood taint his tongue. He was despicable, but at least this way, no one would be hurt. _

_No one but himself._

_His eyes trailed up to the mirror - _

Zero jerked awake, a cold sweat on his brow. He was shivering, but he sat up, bringing a hand to his temples to ease his headache. It felt so real.

Was that part of his past? He could only barely control his breathing, his whole body felt so tense he was actually tired. He was still extremely disturbed by what he had just seen.

Had his body rejected the tablets before?

If this _was_ glimpses of his past in his dreams, didn't that mean that the dreams before – they were _true_? They _really happened?_

Of course.

His parents didn't die in a car crash.

They were murdered in cold blood.

And slowly bits and pieces started to come back to him.

He was a hunter. His parents were hunters. He was the natural enemy of Vampires. And yet, he had become one of them. That's why most of the Vampires in the school hated him. That's why he owned a gun that could kill them. That's why Kuran always kept a watch on him.

He shook his head in a desperate attempt to organize his thoughts.

Why?

Why were they lying to him?

Why were they trying to _change_ him?

As the pieces fell into place Zero felt _betrayed_.

He felt like the past month had been an utter and complete lie. A farce that the brunette and the headmaster and Kuran had cooked up in order to 'correct' him.

Zero's head hurt so badly he wanted to fall unconscious.

But now, now he had a purpose.

He flung the covers off of himself, getting dressed somewhat hurriedly, he slammed the door on his way out.

He was going to find answers.

* * *

Kiryuu Zero stood outside Kuran Kaname's door.

He had contemplated just going in, but had knocked as a courtesy.

"What is it? It's four in the morning."

He knew that the pureblood could sense his presence from inside, and he really couldn't give a flying fuck what ungodly hour it was at the moment.

"We need to talk, Kuran."

The door clicked open, and the ex-prefect stalked into the room to find the brunet at his desk, reading some documents.

"What do you want?"

The pureblood sounded displeased, and even slightly tired, but all this was lost on Zero in his confused rage.

"What the _fuck_ are you trying to pull?"

The brunet looked up from his reading, unimpressed.

"What do you mean?"

Zero could barely control his anger, but kept his restraint, clenching his fists so tightly they were numb.

"I know, Kuran. I _fucking know_ what happened."

The pureblood looked genuinely surprised.

"I've been-" Zero started, trying to steady his shaking voice.

"I've been so _fucking confused_ for the past month trying to figure out who I was. Who I used to be! Was it fun? _Lying to me_. Telling me that my parents were killed in a _car crash _when they were murdered by _your kind_! Whose stupid idea was that?"

Kaname's eyes narrowed. So it had come to this.

"Your memories have returned?"

Zero was pacing about the room now, extremely agitated. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Birdie flitting about his cage in anxiety from his raised voice.

"Bad news for you and your little plan, isn't it. But no, I don't remember everything, but I remember _enough_ to know that you and that Cross girl have been _bullshitting me_. So, what was the plan? That girl tells me my life story that was probably pirated from some sad movie, while I'm distracted by your charming self so I won't ever feel the desire to know about my past? Is that it? But what would that do you? What benefits would you reap? Maybe you'll finally get to please your precious princess once and for all? Make me the unknowing poster boy of coexistence?"

The fair-haired boy laughed morbidly, but refused to meet Kaname's eyes.

"You…kept me in your room so you could keep an eye on me, didn't you?"

The brunet didn't reply, but the look on his face was answer enough.

"You wanted to make sure I really lost my memory. You wanted to know whether I would kill you and your friends in your sleep. But I really did lose my memories. So your precious Yuuki decided that she would rewrite my life for me?"

Kaname could find no room to retort, and he tried to calm him.

"Kiryuu-"

"No, Kuran. Don't. It almost worked, you know?"

The pureblood didn't answer, but merely watched as the silver-haired boy continued pacing.

"I feel so stupid."

The ex-prefect had started laughing, void of all mirth whatsoever.

"To think," he began, slowing his steps and lowering his head to stare at the floor. The younger boy's voice was so soft Kaname had to strain his ears to hear him.

"_To think I was in love with you_."

Kaname's entire being froze. Zero's voice seemed to reverberate in the room, and the pureblood couldn't stop himself from replaying that sentence over and over in his mind.

"You know what, Kuran?"

Kaname could only bring himself to stare in shock at the boy who was standing in front of his desk, a look that almost broke his heart on his beautiful face.

"_Fuck you_."

The younger boy turned to leave, trying to hold in his heartache. He didn't want to let the pureblood know that he was affecting him; that seeing his face made his heart ache. He had expected to the pureblood to smirk and tell him that it was true; everything was for _Yuuki_ and his ideal of coexistence. He had expected Kuran Kaname to be the cold-hearted asshole he knew he was and laugh in his face. He had expected him to tell him that he wasn't worth his time in the first place, that it was over.

He hadn't expected the pureblood to embrace him.

"_Don't go._"

Zero was confused. He didn't want to feel so much for the man who had helped _lie to him_. The pureblood's grip was vice-like, and he could feel the taller boy's breath on his ear. He could feel the brunet's racing heartbeat.

Kiryuu Zero steeled himself, trying to pull free from the brunet but failing.

He didn't want to be near this man, hell, he didn't want to be near _anyone_ right now. He had merely come here to _explode_ at someone, and he had mentally prepared himself for whatever that would come on his way there.

But what left Kuran Kaname's lips next caught him completely by surprise.

"I love you, Kiryuu Zero."

Zero's whole body felt like lead as his struggling died. He merely stood there then, trapped in the brunet's strong arms, his mind a complete blank.

He gathered himself a moment later.

He turned to look the pureblood in the eyes, his violet gaze cold and hard.

"_I don't think I can trust you._"

* * *

A/N: Finally, an update! –shot-

I'm so sorry that I took so long. Well, there's been progress in the story, so I hope you'll forgive me. OTL. Please excuse my dramatic tendencies, it just happened. Or more like, the story just started running in that direction without my consent. I sincerely thank you for reading so far, and hope that you continue putting up with my horribly dramatic and cheesy writing. Once again, forgive me for any discrepancies or spelling or grammar errors, I am extremely careless sometimes. OTL. I'm also very tempted to write a story in which Kaname spoils Zero, and it may turn out to be a continuation of one of my other fics, namely '_Ownership_', but that's just my little fantasy. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please drop a review to keep me motivated! -bricked-


	8. Chapter 8

Rewind 8.

_But what left Kuran Kaname's lips next caught him completely by surprise._

"_I love you, Kiryuu Zero."_

_Zero's whole body felt like lead as his struggling died. He merely stood there then, trapped in the brunet's strong arms, his mind a complete blank._

_He gathered himself a moment later._

_He turned to look the pureblood in the eyes, his violet gaze cold and hard._

"_I don't think I can trust you."_

* * *

Kaname felt utterly and completely distressed.

He had never felt like this before, he had never dreamed that he would be in a situation like the one he was in now.

He had _never _been rejected in his entire life.

Never.

And a lowly ex-human had done exactly that.

Such a predicament was unheard of. _No one_ rejected purebloods. Purebloods and rejection just didn't belong in the same sentence. And the reason for his rejection probably wasn't even his fault. In fact, Kaname genuinely didn't understand why the hunter would reject him. It was obvious that they had feelings for each other, it was apparent enough in their previous encounters. So why? What he did, he had done to make Yuuki happy, and that was at the time understandable, because she _was_, Kaname frowned, feeling extremely awkward even thinking about the issue in past tense, the most important person in his life. It was natural that he would go through lengths to ensure her happiness. What he hadn't expected was to develop stray feelings for the hunter, and to even have the hunter replace his princess' place in his heart.

Certainly, he wasn't expecting Zero to just fly into his arms in tears of gratitude and love, but he definitely didn't expect the boy to outright reject him and storm out of the room.

Kaname broke the pen in his hand.

The rest of the classroom fell silent, all eyes on him as he calmly wiped the ink from his hands with the handkerchief that Takuma had handed him. Kaname realized that he hadn't done a very good job at suppressing his displeasure, and judging by the look on his inner circle's faces, his aura either.

He stood, ignoring the slight protest from the teacher, exiting the classroom without so much as a glance to anyone else.

* * *

Kiryuu Zero didn't know what to do.

He had cooped himself up in his room for the past three days, refusing entry to even Kain, who he got along with best among all the Night Class.

He felt angry. So angry and _betrayed_. He remembered now – he remembered what happened to his family, he remembered what he had sworn the night it happened, he remembered that he had a brother, and what that _monster_ did to him, what the rest of her kind would continue to do. He was angry, and not just with Yuuki and Cross, not at just Kaname, but himself, for allowing this to happen, for allowing himself to _feel _this way for one of the _things_ that he swore to kill.

His chest hurt so much.

_You're pathetic._

_You've gone soft. _

Zero shook his head, silver locks falling messily across his eyes, trying to keep the unwanted throbbing in his heart out.

Kaname had said he loved him.

But how much of that could he believe?

How much of Kuran Kaname could he trust?

_You're disgusting. _

_You're actually considering being with that Monster? He lied to you. He's probably just playing with you._

It hurt. The throbbing seemed only to intensify in the relative silence.

It hurt because he _knew it was true_.

He stood, grabbing a jacket on the way out, deciding to make his way to the stables.

He needed to calm down.

* * *

Kaname stood outside a familiar door.

He was about to knock when the door opened and revealed a troubled looking Kaien Cross.

Kaname frowned as the older man stepped aside and let him in, closing the door quietly behind him.

"I see you've heard."

Kaien sighed, returning behind his desk and sliding into his chair, his shoulders slumping.

"I don't know whether it's a good thing or not."

Kaname seated himself, his eyes not meeting the Chairman's.

"It's _good_ that he remembers, I suppose. It'll give him a rest from 'finding himself'."

Kaname could feel Kaien's gaze on him.

"That may be so, but this gives rise to a whole world of new problems."

Kaname's eyes hardened.

"You should have been prepared for that when you first made the decision to help him 'start anew'."

_I should have been prepared._

The Chairman had looked surprised, before turning sheepish.

"Yes, I supposed I wasn't thinking straight. Yuuki thought it was best for him as well. I guess we didn't think about the consequences as well as we-"

"_You should have!_"

Both men fell silent at Kaname's outburst – for the first time during their meeting Kaname's eyes met Kaien's, and it took a while before anyone broke the strained tension.

"Kaname-kun, are you alright?"

The brunet didn't know how to reply.

No, _no, he wasn't okay_! How could he be? He had just realized his feelings for the boy he had _hated_ with a passion, and what's more he _was willing to throw everything away for said individual_. He had _never_ felt or acted this way in his entire life – not even in his previous one. It was ridiculous! He didn't know what he was doing or why, he just knew that he needed to find an outlet for his frustration and anger.

"Y-yes. I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The Pureblood wanted to roll his eyes; trust Kaien to try and be a counselor.

"Cross," he began, his gaze remaining steadily on the Chairman, "I don't believe that my problems should hold precedence over the issue of Kiryuu-kun."

Cross didn't look convinced, but acceded.

"Does Yuuki know?"

The blond shook his head, a small look of distress on his fine features.

"I didn't think that it would do any good letting her worry over this yet."

Kaname nodded thoughtfully, his brilliant mind racing through the possible courses of action at this point in time. Zero had not been attending lessons as of late, and it bothered Kaname to no end.

Was he concerned? Certainly, but the desire to just leave the classroom just to search for the younger boy was foolish and intolerable. The brunet had never felt so strongly for another individual – not even Yuuki. He reasoned to himself that it was best to let the boy alone to gather his thoughts and cool his head, but already three days have passed and there has been no sign that Zero has become a little more passive and open to explanation.

They had met in the hall way just once, and the look of distaste that Kaname was met with had affected the brunet more than he thought it would.

"I believe we should inform her. This was, after all, her decision. She should bear the responsibility of the outcome."

_So Zero will know that he wasn't the one who started all this_.

The worried look on Cross' face did not dispel, but the blond nodded, deciding that it was a choice that Yuuki made for Zero, and that Zero deserved to know why she did what she did. It could lead to a resolution of the entire issue at hand.

"First, we have to think of how to get Zero in a mood to listen to anything we have to say. I don't think I've seen him this angry before."

Kaname gave the blond a look, before standing and bidding his leave.

"I still have some things to attend to, so I shall make a move first. Please leave Kiryuu-kun to me, and speak to Yuuki about what has happened and what we need to do. Goodnight, Chairman."

* * *

Zero patted Lily on the neck, threading his fingers through that splendid mane, sporting a small smile as he did so.

The white mare neighed, nuzzling her companion with a playful air, her front hooves clicking on the hard floor of her stable.

Zero sighed, offering the horse another carrot distractedly, his mind going back to the darker thoughts of what he was going to do. He knew that he had to find a way to deal with his feelings for the Pureblood Prince, and his course of action may very well destroy whatever 'peace' they had managed to muster up till now, as well as change his relationship with Yuuki and Kuran Kaname for what would be good to assume as _forever_.

It intimidated him to think of how he was going to approach the problem – he wasn't even sure _what_ the problem was anymore. He tried to break it down in his head.

He loved the Pureblood, the Pureblood loved him – or so he claims, and Yuuki…what _about_ Yuuki? What part did she play in this? Zero no longer knew whether the girl could be trusted any longer with what she pulled with his memory loss.

When he had recovered his memories he had felt betrayed. He didn't expect the girl he had come to love and care for to have made a decision that large that was not hers to make. Who did she think she was? How could she have just taken his trust and trampled on it? She knew how he felt about things, how his thought processes worked; with all the time they spent together, how could she not? And even so, she had made that decision. Did she believe that he would never remember things? Was she really that hopeful that she could change him? Did that mean that the one person that he thought would accept him unconditionally actually wished that he was someone else?

Zero winced as lily bit on his fingers gently, and he realized that he had a dark look on his face, and his hands had stopped moving. He apologized with a small smile, grabbing another bit of carrot for her, his thoughts drifted to Kaname.

From all that he knew, Kuran Kaname loved Cross Yuuki. It was something as absolute as the pull of gravity. The Pureblood prince existed for that girl, he had outright _told_ him that he had let him live only as a pawn to protect her. So what was Kuran playing at? He had taken him under his wing when he lost his memories, hell, he had let Zero closer than _anyone_ would even _think_ of getting. But why? Was it because of Yuuki? Throughout everything, the brunet kept mentioning Yuuki's name, as if he was reminding himself that he was there because of Yuuki's grace. That he wasn't _worth anything_ if not for Yuuki's favor of him.

Zero didn't notice that he had crushed the piece of carrot in his had until he heard bits of it fall to the floor.

He frowned, cleaning up the mess and deciding it best to leave Lily alone if he was so distracted, he pet the horse in a bid farewell, earning himself a neigh and a light head butt, he walked, out of the stables, with no particular direction in mind.

His mind was too preoccupied with other things.

* * *

It took another two days before both the hunter and the pureblood could stand being in the same room, and the atmosphere between them had toned down greatly despite the tension still being thick enough to cut with a knife.

Zero was limping slightly, and it made Kaname guilty, but he made no move to show concern, which the ex-prefect was grateful for. He didn't need the brunet's pity.

They were equals, and Kaname understood that.

Yuuki had met Zero at the gate one evening, a fake smile on her face. She greeted Kaname sweetly, and had fallen into pace next to Zero.

"Hey," she started, faltering a bit when Zero shot her a cold look that clearly said that he did not wish to speak to her.

"I heard that you got your memories back."

Zero stopped, startling the petit brunette and catching the attention of the tall one.

"You lied to me, Yuuki."

The air around them suddenly got a lot colder, and Yuuki tried to smile the tension away.

"I did what I thought was best for you-"

"_You_ don't know what's _best for me_!" Zero snapped, causing Yuuki to jump.

Kaname was instructing Ichijou to take the rest of the night class to their lessons first. The pureblood quietly moved to stand behind Zero, aching to touch that trembling shoulder in attempt to support him.

"_You betrayed me_. You, of all people." Zero's voice was cracking, and it hurt Kaname to see him so pained, and at the back of his mind he wanted to turn back time and go back to when this all happened, so he would have never seen him like this.

And he would have never fallen in love.

Yuuki looked stricken, her brown eyes wide and panicked. She desperately tried to explain herself.

"I didn't think it would be such a big dea-"

"That's right, Yuuki! You _didn't think_. You just took _my life_ into your own hands and conveniently rewrote it!"

The girl was close to tears, and she looked to Kaname in a silent plea for help that the taller boy ignored with a slight pang in his heart.

"You know how much my family means to me. You know what I went through, how much I _fought_ _against this shit_, you _know_ my thought processes,"

Zero's gaze was glued to the ground next to Yuuki's feet.

"…and you still did it."

Kaname watched the exchange with a pained silence. He wanted to comfort the both of them, and tell them that their responses were completely understandable given the situation at the time, but he didn't want to hurt either of their egos.

Especially Zero's.

"Did you really think that I would just go with the flow once I got my memories back?"

"Zero, I…" Yuuki was crying now, and she looked toward Kaname again, as if seeking comfort, but the pureblood steeled himself once more. Yuuki needed to learn this lesson. _He _needed to learn this lesson. Zero was important to both of them. No matter what happened, it had been wrong to just take advantage of his time of weakness. Even if it meant they had to walk down a road of thorns.

"I'm sorry!" The girl finally managed to choke out, and Zero had just looked at her coldly, before just walking away.

He couldn't forgive her yet. Of all the anger he felt, most of it was directed at her.

She was the one who acted out of turn, who decided to break his trust. The rest of them – Kuran and Cross, they were just spoiling her. If there was anyone to shoulder the blame, it had to be her. She had to take responsibility for her actions; because this was _his_ life they were talking about, _his _memories. It wasn't some animal or random civilian whose memory could be erased; it was _Kiryuu Zero_, the last of the Kiryuu bloodline, a hunter and a Level D.

And she thought _it wasn't a big deal_.

Zero's anger was building steadily as he heard the pitiful sobbing coming from the brunette who had not moved from where he left her. Kuran was patting Yuuki on the head in some semblance of comfort, and she threw himself into his arms, wailing like a child. The hunter stopped, turning back to glare at the scene before him – Yuuki Cross in the arms of Kuran Kaname, and it looked so _right_: he had seen it so many times before. Only, Kaname's gaze wasn't fixed on Yuuki any more, but was directed straight at him.

Zero was surprised at the sadness and regret he saw in those eyes, with no blame whatsoever for saying such harsh things to Yuuki. Kaname almost looked relieved. The pureblood gently removed himself from her grip, bending down to whisper something into her ear, his large hand stroking her hair again, he made his way to Zero, and the two boys shared a look, before Kaname continued forward, towards the classrooms.

"Zero, I'm sorry." Yuuki's voice was still trembling from crying, and Zero was frankly not in any mood to listen, but he forced himself to stay.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, I just thought it would be better if you could see that Kaname-senpai and the rest of the night class aren't as hateful as you think."

Zero's chest tightened.

She was right. He had been accepted whole-heartedly by some of the night class, mainly Kaname and his inner circle. They had taken care of him, taught him and befriended him, despite his actions towards them in the past. And Kaname, he had…

Zero shook his head in attempt to clear his mind.

No, even if they did do all of that, it didn't change the fact that they were murderers who would kill in cold blood. It didn't change _anything_.

"Is that your only reason?" He pressed frostily, violet eyes pale and frigid.

"Just because _you_ wanted me to play best friends with some blood suckers you betray my trust and disrespect my choices?"

Yuuki shirked back at the rough retort, choking back sobs. She was sorry, she really was. She had sincerely thought it best at the time.

They grew up together, they _loved_ each other. Yuuki was Zero's most important person, wasn't she? He couldn't stay mad at her forever!

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Yuuki almost smiled as those words left Zero's lips. Was she being forgiven? Could they go back to normal?

"Don't speak to me again, Cross."

Zero turned, walking away briskly, steeling his heart and telling himself not to turn back to see the bawling girl who had sunk to the floor. He tried to keep his hands from shaking too much from the pain and anger and _sadness_ that bubbled in his being, and once he was past the doors of the main school building, he pressed his back against the wall, willing himself not to cry but feeling the wetness on his cheeks, he slowly slid to the ground, curling into a fetal position, as if he could protect himself from all the agony his heart was feeling.

He loved her. He really loved her, but he couldn't forgive her for this.

He couldn't forgive anyone selfish enough to have done what she did, for disregarding _him_. Her actions confirmed Zero's insecurities, like court order, that Kiryuu Zero was a failure, that even the person that he thought he would love him and accept him as he was wanted him to _change_. He was a mistake, his entire life was a mistake, and all the choices that he made were _wrong_, and there was nobody left who would receive him unconditionally –

He didn't notice the soft footsteps that stopped in front of him.

"Kiryuu-kun,"

Zero didn't move, his face was still buried in the fold of his arms, and he was still shaking. He cursed inwardly – the person who he didn't want to show weakness to the most had come and found him.

"Are you happy now?" Zero muffled voice reached the brunet's ears, sounding broken and weak. The pureblood moved to sit next to the hunter, their close proximity making Zero slightly uncomfortable.

"No," Kaname replied quietly, resisting the urge to just pull the younger boy to him and comfort him.

He heard a mirthless chuckle fall from the younger boy's lips.

"You don't have competition anymore."

Kaname patiently listened, deciding that Zero needed to let this out. He was in pain, and he had to lash out.

"I bet you're dancing inside, huh? Yuuki's out there, heartbroken and sobbing. You should go comfort her."

Zero had gathered himself enough that he wasn't crying anymore, and he leaned back against the wall, not meeting the brunet's gaze.

Kaname registered what he said silently, before leaning back as well.

"But _you're _here, heartbroken and sobbing too. I want to comfort _you_."

Zero's violet irises snapped to him in surprise, before rolling to the side in exasperation.

"Is this some kind of joke? 'Cause I'm really not in the mood. In fact, could you please leave me alo-"

The pureblood reached over, grabbing the younger boy's chin, he guided him into a brief kiss.

Zero jerked back from the action, but found himself pulled into the brunet's arms, and he suddenly felt inexplicably comfortable, safe and _loved_.

He caught himself a moment later, shoving the taller boy away, he got up and ran, trying to get away from his feelings, to get away from what he knew he didn't deserve.

Before he knew it, he found himself at that fountain in front of the Moon Dorms, and he cursed himself softly, and was about to leave when he heard that familiar voice speak his name.

"Don't run from me, Kiryuu-kun."

* * *

Kaname hadn't expected to the younger boy to _run_, but when he followed him to the fountain, he couldn't stop himself from wanting to confront the boy.

The hunter had frozen at the mention of his name, but he didn't look up. Kaname could tell the boy was caught between responding and running _again_, and was very close to choosing the latter.

And hell was Kaname going to let him do that.

An elegant hand caught a slender wrist in a strong grip, and the sound of papers hitting the floor resounded in the empty square.

"Don't go."

The Pureblood could see the other boy visibly tense before he tried to break free of his hold. The brunet stepped closer, trying to get better leverage and to look at the hunter's face.

The younger boy stilled, still refusing to meet the brunet's eyes.

"Release me."

Kaname's chest stung at the hunter's tone; it was cold and apathetic, and it disturbed the pureblood.

"_No._"

_Not this time_.

The brunet didn't know what he was doing – he pulled the slighter shorter to him, not giving the other boy time to struggle, crushed that lean body against him. The hunter struggled, trying to shove him away from himself, but finding the hold the brunet had on him too strong. The pureblood buried his face in the crook of the ex-prefect's neck, inhaling that familiar and extremely pleasant scent of lilacs and mint. In that moment, Kaname remembered why he didn't ever want to let go of this person.

"_Please_."

The fair-haired boy stilled, heaving a sigh and turning his head away, slowly relaxing in the older boy's arms.

"Let me explain, Kiryuu-kun." Kaname's voice was soft, nothing more than a whisper. He couldn't resist brushing his lips against the silver on the hunter's ear. He felt the boy stiffen, and he pulled back a little, refusing to release the hunter.

"Please, listen to me."

There was silence as Kaname thought of what to say: the hunter was surprisingly pliant in his arms, and Kaname thought that he actually might have a chance, until Zero spoke.

"It's not going to work on me."

Kaname froze.

"What?"

Those lilac eyes pierced through his heart like an icicle.

"I'm not falling for this again."

Kaname wanted to speak, to tell him that he was _wrong_, that this _wasn't his fault_, that he didn't deserve this treatment, not from him. But his throat was dry, and all that left his lips was broken silence.

"I won't believe anything that leaves your mouth, Kuran. I can't."

Kaname couldn't take the intensity of that gaze, and his hold on the other boy slowly loosened, and he took a shaky step backward.

No one had made him feel this way.

Nothing had.

And yet just listening to this boy speak made his chest feel like it was being crushed, like the whole world had wronged him.

"_Kiryuu-kun, please_."

There was no reply, and the brunet thought he was going to suffocate. He wanted to reach for the boy, but he didn't dare to.

"_Zero._"

Violet eyes shot to meet his wine red ones, and what Kaname found there scared him.

_Nothing_.

Even before the hunter lost his memories there had always been emotion in those beautiful eyes: anger, distaste, disgust, jealousy, sadness – but now…

"You lied to me. You helped her take advantage of me in my weakness. You made me…"

Zero's voice was trembling. He didn't dare to look at the brunet.

"…You made me _love_ you."

The pureblood's heart skipped a few beats.

"You don't understand, Kiryuu-ku – _Zero_." Kaname began, mustering all the courage that he had in that moment to step forward, to voice his true feelings for once in all the time he had ever lived.

"I _love you too._"

"Stop-"

"I love you, Zero."

"Shut up-"

"_I love you!_"

"_Stop it!_"

Neither of them knew when they started raising their voices, but they fell into a fragile quiet as they tried to collect themselves.

"You _love_ Yuuki. She loves you. I don't fit in the equation, Kuran-"

"There _never was an equation_!"

Kaname was exasperated; he couldn't understand why Zero couldn't just accept that he, Kuran Kaname, Pureblood Prince, was hopelessly in love with him.

Loved him, like a complete and total fool.

He reached for the hunter's arms, to hold him, to try and repair that broken connection.

"_Zero_, I have feelings for _you_. I love you. I would do anything for you."

The fair-haired boy was shaking his head, trying to take a step back.

"You're lying. You don't mean it. Is this your way of revenge? Couldn't take someone standing up to you, Your Majesty? You had to kick him when he's down and pin him there while you're at it?"

Every word that left the hunter's mouth felt like needles in his soul.

"Why couldn't you leave me be? Why did you even agree?"

Zero chuckled darkly, his eyes dim and his hands cold.

"Why do I even bother? You're probably laughin-"

Zero fell silent as his eyes caught the brunet's face.

Clear tears were slowly gliding down the pureblood's cheeks. Zero looked absolutely shocked, before he gathered himself and his gaze turned cold.

"You're an amazing actor, Kuran. I never thought I would see the day…"

Zero stepped back, wrenching himself away from the pureblood.

"...Zero, please."

The hunter found himself frozen in place, unable to move a muscle or even speak. Kaname walked towards him slowly, his eyes dark and wet with tears, like crystals in the dim light.

Cool hands cupped the side of his face, and he was forced to look into those ruby irises that seemed to be overflowing with so much emotion Zero was finding it hard to doubt whatever those eyes were trying to say.

The pureblood pressed his forehead to the hunter, exhaling softly, his closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he released his 'hold' on the younger boy. Zero didn't move. He couldn't bring himself to. His body refused to co-operate, not with those eyes staring straight through him.

"Let me love you."

Zero didn't know when, but his cheeks felt wet, and he wanted to run away, to hide somewhere and remember that he shouldn't be this affected, that Kuran Kaname was a _bloodsucker_, his _enemy_, and that these feelings were redundant and foolish and a complete _lie_.

But those eyes…

Those eyes told him of the brunet's pain, his fear, his insecurity, and most of all, his overwhelming _affection_. He never thought that he would see these things in those wine-red eyes, that he would be the subject of these emotions. It scared him, it frightened him because he wanted to badly to believe, to acknowledge the feelings that had surfaced in the short time they spent together – to just throw away all his beliefs and responsibilities and just surrender.

But he couldn't.

Kaname seemed to understand as their lips brushed against each other, and as their lips met Zero gripped the older boy's shirt and pulled him closer, pouring all of his frustration and anger into that kiss; biting, sucking, licking. There was nothing gentle about their contact- it was pure aggression. It was a battle for dominance, a show of pain.

"You had _no right_." Zero hissed in between breaths, his grip on Kaname's shoulders tight and bruising, the pureblood's own grip on his hips stinging.

The brunet steered them into the thicket near the fountain, and Zero hissed as the sharp branches drew angry lines on his skin as they collapsed to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

Leaves caught in both silver and chocolate, going unnoticed in their shared moment of obscured truth – that they _wanted_ each other, that they _needed _each other.

The ex-prefect was pinned underneath the pureblood, with the taller boy straddling his hips.

"I was _wrong_," the brunet breathed, nipping the younger boy's collar bone, his hands busying themselves with trying to rip the hunter's shirt from him; the ex-prefect's own hands briskly tearing at the pureblood's buttons.

"I didn't feel the way I feel now, it was _understandable_ I made that choice!" He hissed, his now extended fangs cleanly cutting into the skin exposed before him, earning him a growl and a none to gentle shove.

"So what now? You're suddenly in love with me? What about Yuuki? Are you going to just throw her away?" The fair-haired boy bit back, finally wrenching the brunet's shirt down to his elbows, letting out a breathy groan as the older boy's lips found his nipple.

"No!" the brunet snarled, his hands now moving onto the hunter's belt buckle, removing it quickly with a unspoken fury. It was hilarious what they were doing, but right now Kaname couldn't care less.

"She's important to me, but _now, you're more important_."

The revelation had stunned Zero into silence, his hands stilling as he processed the information.

Was the Kuran telling the truth? Did he have a place in that bastard's heart? And even so, _so what_? He was a Vampire, a Pureblood; he was one of the monsters that he swore he would wipe off the face of this earth. But what was that warmth he felt in his chest?

He pushed it away as the pureblood's hand tugged his boxers down. The hunter grabbed the offending hand, his violet eyes glaring at the said hand's owner.

"_Stop pushing me away, Zero._" Kaname crashed their lips together once more, his breathing labored, as if trying to control the amount of emotion he was letting out. Why couldn't the hunter see that he wanted to help him? That he wasn't his enemy, he never was. Sure, their relationship had started out as one of manipulation and self-preservation, but it had morphed into a twisted romance that neither of them would have ever dreamed of. Kaname couldn't stand having his thought processes hijacked by this irritatingly endearing being any longer. He would accept him; he would _love_ him and _give him the world_ _if he so asked_. But the younger boy was _still_ Kiryuu Zero. He would never just sit back and let Kuran Kaname get what he wanted without a fight.

The older boy managed to flip the ex-prefect over, and Zero growled as he propped himself on his elbows, hissing as the pureblood angled his hips forcefully, nearly panicking when he felt the brunet align himself, mercilessly pushing in without warning.

"Aahh!"

The pain was excruciating, and he could feel the tear in the ring of muscle, the blood gliding down the inside of his thighs, but all of it was numbed by his rage.

He dug his nails into the pureblood's wrist that was propped beside his head to support the brunet's weight, almost breaking skin. Kaname gritted his teeth, starting at a livid pace, the intensity causing the slender body he was holding to jerk in both pain and warped pleasure.

"Zero," he breathed, nuzzling the fair shoulder in front of him, raining kisses down that lean back as he whispered the hunter's name.

This was madness.

What they were doing was madness.

But Kaname couldn't bring himself to _stop_.

It was like a slippery slope – they had reached the peak when the hunter started to remember, and ever since then, everything was going downhill at speeds that the pureblood himself found terrifying. One choice led to another, and everything snowballed into the monster of a relationship they had now.

It hurt, _everything_ hurt, and Zero was barely holding in his cries as the brunet pushed him harder, almost brutal in his pace. But despite the pain, the hunter felt some vague cathartic release – he had heard what the pureblood had to say, he had processed what it meant, and he was showing the brunet exactly how he felt.

Their connection was like a whirlwind and a safe-house combined, tearing at their mental states savagely while making them feel safe and secure that they were _there_, real, alive and with each other. Neither of them understood it fully, and they were tired, so very tired of the doubts and insecurities regarding their standing with each other.

But now, everything was clear.

Zero arched backward against that solid chest, turning his head so he could reach the pureblood for a fevered kiss.

_Everything was clear_.

* * *

A/N: Oh my goodness, I'm finally done with this chapter! I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. *shot several times * I hope you liked it. I rewrote bits and pieces several times and unwillingly upped the angst level. I apologize for any mistakes or out-of-character-ness in the story, or discrepancies – that's the problem of being so ridiculously busy and brain dead to finish a chapter quickly. Once again, I'm really sorry. I hope you continue to follow this story and some of my other ones. *cries * I'm thinking that the next chapter will be the last! (Excited that I'm finally finishing a multi-chapter story!) I'll be continuing my fics as much as I can before my new semester starts! Please drop a review! Thank you!


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